He says a coal-to-liquid fuel plant in Eastern Kentucky is more than a possibility, it's a national need. That comes from the director of the Southern States Energy Board.

Southern States Energy Board Director Ken Nemeth says if we don't find a way to create our own fuel and be less dependent on foreign countries, we could see an energy crisis in the future. He wants to see a coal to liquid fuel plant in Eastern Kentucky and says it will have zero emissions, but environmentalists don't think that's the answer.

Energy officials say a zero emissions synthetic fuels plant exists in North Dakota. Pike County leaders are even sending DVD's to the public showing proof. They say the same technology will be in Pike County's future coal to liquid plant.

"Carbon dioxide can be captured at the power plant," Nemeth said.

It's called carbon sequestration, a process where the gases stay underground and to prevent pollution and global warming, but some environmentalists are skeptical.

"They're not able to affect the sulfur dioxide levels," said Raul Urias with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.

Urias agrees the country needs new energy sources, but he doesn't think coal to liquid fuel is the right choice.

"I hate to see a coal to liquid fuel plant in my backyard. After you turn it into synthetic fuel, I don't see how you're going to re-use that," Urias said.

"Inject CO2 into various geological formations, then used for enhanced oil recovery or enhanced coal bed methane recovery," Nemeth said.

Nemeth believes the benefits outweigh the risks.

"It would make us energy independent and we wouldn't be shipping a billion dollars a day out of this country to other foreign countries," Nemeth said.

"I don't see how it's going to trickle down to the general public," Urias said.

Still Urias worries the cost is at the expense of the land.

Thursday in Lexington, Pike County officials and Ken Nemeth are meeting with operators from a South African coal to liquid fuel plant to discuss how they built their facility.