Southwest Indiana is already a leader in the production of coal, and a major producer of coal-fired electrical power. 

Important as these traditional strengths are to the local economy, Project GREEN intends to build on these mature industries by inducing advanced coal technology research, technology development, and entrepreneurship.  Technology innovation is known to drive wealth creation and job growth, and as Project GREEN research reconfirms, coal is a legitimate industry in which Southwest Indiana could take a technology leadership role.

Implementing this initiative would involve world-class research programs, academic specializations, and the creation of intellectual property to effect start-up businesses.  These innovation efforts would then be mutually reinforcing with the development of full scale advanced coal industrial projects, ultimately bringing about a significant and robust advanced coal business cluster.