A significant aspect of NewEnergy2040 is innovation. America leads the world in innovation and that will be the engine that drives our energy successes. NewEnergy2040 embraces continued use of fossil fuels through a transition period to new sources of energy. Call it new or call it technology improvement, coal gasification is a technology that needs in-depth consideration. Some of the biggest challenges in the production of synthetic gas (syngas) is that it is a complicated and expensive process. However, recent developments by engineers at Rice University may change that. (Gasification Goes Green: Low-Temp Photocatalyst Slashes Carbon Footprint for Syngas, Rice University, January 11, 2020.) At Rice, they have developed “a light-powered nanoparticle that could shrink the carbon footprint of a major segment of the chemical industry.” Developments such as this could simplify, and in turn, reduce the cost of syngas production. Is coal gasification feasible? This one innovation could play a significant role in answering that question.