Bonding for coal gasification plant moves forward

The Carbon County Commission has approved
resolutions supporting a Texas company's plan to issue $545 million
in bonds to help fund construction of a planned $2 billion
coal-to-gasoline plant.
     The commission unanimously endorsed issuing $300-million in industrial
development bonds and $245 million in tax exempt bonds.
     DKRW officials have asked the State of Wyoming to purchase the
$300-million bond issue. The $245-million bond issue would be sold
on the open market.
     State Sen. Phil Nicholas, R-Laramie, is chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Committee. He says legislative leadership would be
comfortable investing a maximum of between $50 million to $100
million in the bonds.
     Nicholas says an investment of $300 million would require the
state to hire its own experts to evaluate the project.