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After more than three years of extensive planning and preparation by
the governor, federal, state and local partners, the FutureGen
Industrial Alliance recently announced that Mattoon and Tuscola are
two of only four sites still under consideration for this
unprecedented initiative, which would create an estimated 1,300
construction jobs and 150 permanent jobs. In September 2007, the
alliance will announce its final selection from the four remaining
sites. "We are very pleased to announce this new task force, which
will continue to advance our efforts to demonstrate why this
historic project belongs in Illinois," Blagojevich said. "Not only
does our state have the geology, infrastructure and a strong track
record of developing clean-coal technology, but we also have a
dedicated group of leaders that believe in FutureGen's tremendous
possibilities for our state and our country. With science on our
side and all of our strategic assets, we are confident that the
world's cleanest coal plant will be built in Illinois and change the
way we look at energy production."
The governor named the entire Illinois congressional delegation
as members of the task force, as well as Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
and members of the Illinois Clean Coal Review Board. Speaking at the
event according to their respective areas of expertise and
highlighting the benefits of locating the project in Illinois were
Southern Illinois Coal Research Center Director John Mead, Illinois
State Geological Survey's Rob Finley, Environmental Law and Policy
Center Director Howard Learner, Illinois AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer
Michael T. Carrigan, and Martin Engineering Chief Executive Officer
Scott Hutter. Also, Marty Irwin, director of Indiana Coal Research
at Purdue University, spoke on behalf of Indiana's support for the
project in Illinois. Task force members will help to reinforce the
state's message that FutureGen belongs in Illinois.
"The bipartisan collaboration of elected officials and leaders in
business, labor, environment and technology on the FutureGen for
Illinois Task Force will ensure Illinois will be in the best
position to win the FutureGen plant next year," said U.S. Sen. Dick
Durbin, D-Illinois, task force co-chairman. "I will continue to do
everything I can in Washington to help the FutureGen for Illinois
Task Force. At the FutureGen summits I hosted in August in Tuscola
and Mattoon, I was very impressed with the efforts of local
officials. Illinois has the coal and the commitment needed to make
this vision a reality."
"The FutureGen project will revolutionize energy production and
pave the way for the next generation of power plants," said U.S.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, the other co-chairman of
the task force. "With Illinois' deep coal reserves, infrastructure
and unwavering community support, Mattoon and Tuscola are ideal
homes for this groundbreaking facility, and I believe our commitment
will pay off in the end thanks to our strong bipartisan efforts."
The U.S. Department of Energy is advancing the next phase of the
selection process, which requires an environmental impact statement
for each potential site and calls for assembling technical data and
extensive public involvement through interviews, hearings and site
visits. The Department of Energy visited Mattoon and Tuscola last
month for the required scoping hearings, and the governor has
committed $730,000 to help gather environmental and other technical
information for both cities to assist with this process. The other
two remaining sites vying for the project are Odessa, Texas, and
near Jewett, Texas.
The
FutureGen coal plant of tomorrow will use coal gasification
technology to produce 275 megawatts of electric power, as well as
hydrogen for fuel cells and other industrial uses. Because capture
of carbon dioxide is critical to FutureGen's success, a team of
scientists selected the final sites based on major factors related
to the underlying geology, water availability and other technical
requirements set forth by the FutureGen Industrial Alliance, which
is developing the facility for the Department of Energy.
Members of the FutureGen Alliance represent the largest energy
companies in the United States, plus a major energy company in China
and the nation of India. Among its major goals, FutureGen seeks to
show how carbon dioxide from the process of coal gasification can be
injected into and stored harmlessly in deep underground formations
of rock, sand and saltwater.
Since the two states share the same coal basin, Blagojevich and
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a Memorandum of Understanding in
December 2005 stating that Illinois' strong financial support for
coal development, as well as its appealing geologic features, make
the state the ideal host for the federally supported project.
The governor also previously committed a $17 million direct grant
from a clean-coal technology fund, topping off what is believed to
be the nation's most aggressive investment package to bring
FutureGen to Illinois. The grant can be used for a wide range of
project costs.
"Illinois is a national leader in clean-coal technology in
pursuit of new markets for our coal, to create new jobs and reduce
our dependence on imported energy," said Lavin, the director of the
Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. "Our coal, geology
and tremendous partners on the federal, state and local levels have
gotten us to FutureGen's final four, and we must continue spreading
that message. Through the task force's large, diverse coalition of
support, we will continue our efforts to make this vision a
reality."
In addition to unwavering community support, local sponsors are
providing the FutureGen Alliance with additional assistance that
ranges from property tax abatements to site donations and land
options designed for facility expansion or the location of FutureGen-related
businesses. Additional state support includes an estimated $15
million sales tax exemption on materials through local enterprise
zones or the High Impact Business program. Other project-related
funding is available through the Illinois Coal Competitiveness
Program, the Illinois Clean Coal Institute and the Illinois Clean
Coal Review Board, a public-private partnership. There is also $50
million set aside by the Illinois Finance Authority for
below-market-rate loans to the alliance.
For more information on FutureGen and the task force visit
www.futuregenforillinois.com.
FutureGen for Illinois Task Force
Appointed by Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, the FutureGen for Illinois
Task Force includes prominent members of the state's business,
civic, government, academic and labor communities. The FutureGen for
Illinois Task Force is working with the state and the Illinois
congressional delegation to bring FutureGen to Illinois.
Chair:
Co-chairs:
Task force members:
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U.S. Rep. Melissa
Bean, 8th Congressional District
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Dr. Henry S. Bienen,
president, Northwestern University
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U.S. Rep. Judy
Biggert, 13th Congressional District
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Margaret Blackshere,
president, Illinois AFL-CIO
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Terry Bruce,
president, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges
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Joe Burgess,
chairman, Tuscola Economic Development Group
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Michael T. Carrigan,
co-president, Illinois Building and Trades Council
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David C. Carroll,
president and chief executive officer, Gas and Technology
Institute
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Steve Carter,
president, Knight Hawk Coal
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Ron Carty, director,
Illinois Clean Coal Institute
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Frank Clark,
president, ComEd
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John Clark, director,
Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development
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Lew Collens,
president, Illinois Institute of Technology
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U.S. Rep. Jerry
Costello, 12th Congressional District
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Harry Crisp II, chief
executive officer, Pepsi MidAmerica
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Indiana Gov. Mitch
Daniels
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U.S. Rep. Danny
Davis, 7th Congressional District
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Jan Eads, chair,
Coles County Board
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Ronald D. Earl,
general manager and chief executive officer, Illinois Municipal
Electric Agency
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Stacy Elliot, senior
branch office administrator, Edward Jones
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U.S. Rep. Rahm
Emanuel, 5th Congressional District
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U.S. Rep. Lane Evans,
17th Congressional District
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Robert Exley,
president, Parkland College
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Sam Flood, acting
director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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State Sen. Gary Forby,
59th District
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John Foreman, editor
and publisher, Champaign News Gazette
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Gerald Forsythe,
chairman and chief executive officer, Indeck Energy Services
Inc.
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Jack Fortnum, vice
president and North American Division president, Corn Products
International
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Peter Fox, chairman
and founder, Fox Development Inc.
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Phil Gonet,
president, Illinois Coal Association
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Walter Gregory,
president and chief executive officer, Freeman Energy
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Janet Grimes,
executive director, Capital Development Board
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Steve Grissom,
chairman, Coles Together
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U.S. Rep. Luis
Gutierrez, 4th Congressional District
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Molly Hall, executive
director, Illinois Electric Council
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Charles Hartke,
director, Illinois Department of Agriculture
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Louis Hencken,
president, Eastern Illinois University
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Scott Hutter,
president and chief executive officer, Martin Engineering
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Martin C. Jischke,
president, Purdue University
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U.S. Rep. Timothy
Johnson, 15th Congressional District
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Mike Johnston,
general manager, WAND-TV
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Robert Joyce,
president, IBEW Local 15
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Mayor Daniel Kleiss,
city of Tuscola
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David Kolata,
executive director, Citizens Utility Board
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Woody Kramer,
attorney at law, The Brainard Law Offices
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U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood,
18th Congressional District
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Jack Lavin, director,
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
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Howard Learner,
president and executive director, Illinois Environmental Law and
Policy Center
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Patrick Lindsey,
senior manager for state relations, DaimlerChrysler
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U.S. Rep. Dan
Lipinski, 3rd Congressional District
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John Lowder, director
of appropriations and research, Illinois House Speaker Madigan's
office
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Richard A. Lumpkin,
chairman, Consolidated Communications
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Timothy Martin,
secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation
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Talina Mathews,
executive director, Kentucky Office of Energy Policy
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Tim Mathis, general
manager, WICS-TV
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Mike Mazzocco,
director of corporate relations, University of Illinois
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Doug McCumber,
president, First National Bank of Arcola
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John Mead, director,
SIU Coal Research Center
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Gary Melvin,
president, Rural King
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Jim Monk, president,
Illinois Energy Association
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Lloyd Murphy,
president, Tuscola National Bank
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Roger Myers, vice
president, United Mine Workers D-12
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Robert Neff, vice
president, Ameren Energy Fuels
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Phil Nelson,
president, Illinois Farm Bureau
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Duane Noland,
president and chief executive officer, Illinois Association of
Electric Cooperatives
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U.S. Sen. Barack
Obama
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Dr. John G. Peters,
president, Northern Illinois University
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Dan Podgurski, plant
manager, Lyondell Chemicals (Equistar)
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Glenn Poshard,
president, Southern Illinois University
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Hunt Ramsbottom,
president and chief executive officer, Rentech Inc.
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Mayor John Rednour,
city of DuQuoin
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Jill Rendleman,
acting executive director, Illinois Finance Authority
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Brad Richards,
executive vice president, Illinois Oil and Gas Association
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State Sen. Dale
Righter, 55th District
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State Rep. Chapin
Rose, 110th District
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Robert Rosner,
director, Argonne National Laboratory
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William Rowland,
chairman and chief executive officer, First Mid-Illinois
Bancshares
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Gayle Saunders,
president, Richland Community College
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Wayne Schable,
chairman, Douglas County Board
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Doug Scott, director,
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
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William Shilts,
chief, Illinois State Geological Survey
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U.S. Rep. John
Shimkus, 20th Congressional District
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Samuel K. Skinner,
attorney at law, Greenberg Traurig LLP
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Edward Smith,
international vice president, Laborers International Union of
North America
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Tom Sparrow, retired
director, Indiana Coal Research, Purdue University
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Bill Thallemer,
president, Lake Land Community College
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James Thompson,
former Illinois governor, senior chairman, Winston & Strawn
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Carl Troike, facility
general manager, Cabot Corporation
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Jack Unzicker,
research analyst, Illinois House Speaker Madigan's office
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Tom Villanova,
co-president, Illinois Building and Trades Council
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Carl Walworth,
publisher and editor, Mattoon Journal Gazette and Charleston
Times Courier
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Allen Wente,
president, Lincolnland Building and Construction Trades
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Mary Wetzel,
president, Mattoon Chamber of Commerce
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Mayor Charles White,
city of Mattoon
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B. Joseph White,
president, University of Illinois
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Doug Whitley,
president, Illinois State Chamber of Commerce
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Derek Winstanley,
chief, Illinois State Water Survey
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Bob Woodard,
president, Tuscola Chamber of Commerce
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Robert J. Zimmer,
president, University of Chicago
[News release] |
