If Wyoming legislators are willing to put up $20 million, General Electric may match that amount to build a research facility in the state aimed at reducing the cost of turning Wyoming coal into clean-burning gas.

"It buys us a world-class facility that allows us to focus purely on the coal we produce here in Wyoming," University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources director Mark Northam told the Star-Tribune this week.

GE signed a letter of intent to work with the state of Wyoming and the School of Energy Resources to pursue the project. Wyoming and GE officials will hold a press conference today at the State Capitol in Cheyenne regarding the effort.

So far, the parties have not officially identified a location for the facility, or settled on a specific focus. Northam stressed that the effort is preliminary and said much rides on whether the Legislature is willing to spend $20 million on the $40 million project.

"Really, this is to see if there's enough interest in the Legislature to put the state's half of the money up for this," Northam said.