 The Taylorville Energy Center, a proposed 630-megawatt facility,
would be the nation's first commercial-sized clean-coal power plant
of its kind and among the world's most environmentally friendly coal
plants. The plant will use coal gasification technology to
dramatically reduce air emissions, allowing high-sulfur Illinois
coal to become a more environmentally sound fuel source. The plant
would create 1,500 construction jobs, 120 permanent jobs at the
plant and 160 new mining jobs to supply the 1.8 million tons of
Illinois coal needed annually to power more than 600,000 households.
"Illinois has among the largest reserves of coal in the world,
and being able to safely use this domestic energy source is a
critical part of my energy plan," Blagojevich said. "The Taylorville
Energy Center, using cutting-edge clean-coal gasification
technology, is a great example of how we can grow our economy and
create good-paying jobs while protecting our environment."
The air pollution limits set by this air permit are dramatically
lower than conventional coal plants and reflect Illinois' commitment
to developing environmentally responsible solutions to meet rising
energy demand.
"The Taylorville Energy Center will turn coal into a gas that can
be more cleanly burned to generate power, which helps protect public
and the environment," said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott. "The
air we all breathe will be cleaner because gasification plants
remove pollutants and impurities prior to combustion, resulting in
significantly lower mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and
particulate emissions than conventional coal plants."
Unlike conventional coal-fired power plants, Integrated
Gasification Combined Cycle, or IGCC, plants have the future
potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing carbon
dioxide that can be permanently stored underground in mature oil
fields or deep saline aquifers. In addition to vast coal reserves,
Illinois' geology is well-suited for what is called "carbon
sequestration," making Illinois an ideal place to build coal
gasification plants.
"This is a landmark day for the state of Illinois and the
Taylorville Energy Center. This permit sets the standard by which
other IGCC power plants will be judged," said Greg Kunkel, vice
president of independent power producer Tenaska, the managing
partner of Christian County Generation. "Now that the project has
been found to meet strict clean-air and regulatory standards,
legislation is needed to make the Taylorville Energy Center a
reality."
Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Taylorville, has sponsored the Clean Coal
Program Law, which would allow developers to enter into long-term,
regulated, cost-based contracts with large Illinois electric
utilities.
"The Taylorville Energy Center is a win-win-win for Illinois. It
will help revitalize Illinois' coal industry, provide stable, base
load energy and create hundreds of permanent jobs," Hannig said.
The cost-based approach contained in the Clean Coal Program Law
was developed jointly with the Citizen's Utility Board, which
supports Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle projects like the
Taylorville Energy Center because of their ability to keep prices in
check by increasing the supply of base load power. In addition, the
Illinois Coal Association, Clean Air Task Force, Illinois AFL-CIO
and others support development of the Taylorville plant and other
coal gasification projects.
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 A recently released study from the Regional Development Institute
at Northern Illinois University found that in addition to directly
creating new construction, plant operations and coal mining jobs,
the plant would add $356 million annually to the area's economy when
operational and would create nearly 800 additional indirect jobs,
making it among the most important engines for economic growth in
central Illinois.
John Thompson, director of the Coal Transition Project for the
Clean Air Task Force, concluded, "If this plant breaks ground,
people from around the world will come to Illinois to learn how we
can solve some of the most significant global environmental problems
facing the 21st century."
About Christian County Generation, LLC
Christian County Generation, LLC is a joint venture of
Omaha-based independent power developer Tenaska and Louisville-based
MDL Holding Co., LLC (formerly The ERORA Group LLC). Tenaska is
managing member of the project.
About Blagojevich's Energy Independence Plan
The Energy Independence Plan calls for a dramatic expansion of
clean, domestic energy production as well as significant reductions
in energy use through investments in energy efficiency and
conservation. Specifically, the governor's plan will:
-
Invest in renewable
biofuels by providing financial incentives to build up to 20 new
ethanol plants and five new biodiesel plants. These increases in
ethanol and biofuels production would allow Illinois to replace
50 percent of its current supply of imported oil with renewable
homegrown biofuels.
-
Increase the number
of gas stations that sell biofuels, so that all gas stations
offer 85 percent ethanol fuel (E85) by 2017, and help the auto
industry to produce more and better flexible-fuel vehicles that
can run on either E85 or regular gasoline.
-
Invest $775 million
to help build new coal gasification plants that use Illinois
coal to meet 25 percent of Illinois' diesel fuel needs, 25
percent of natural gas needs and 10 percent of electricity needs
by 2017.
-
Build a pipeline to
move carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, captured from coal
gasification plants to oilfields in southeastern Illinois to
extract more oil and natural gas and permanently store the
carbon dioxide underground.
-
Meet 10 percent of
the state's electricity needs from renewable energy sources by
2015 and greatly boost investment in energy efficiency, while
finding ways to cut emissions and reduce motor fuel consumption
by 10 percent in 2017.
[Text from Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency news release received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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