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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:25 PM CST
FutureGen officials meet with Congressional delegates

By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com

FutureGen Alliance officials met with some members of the Illinois Congressional delegation Thursday to make sure they are “on the same page” to get the energy project restarted in 2009, a Senate staffer said.

“They are making sure they are all on the same page with FutureGen,” said Christine Mulka of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s staff. “They were all brought up to speed on the project and learned the alliance is still committed to moving forward.”

They all hope the Obama administration early next year will restore full federal funding to the project that would build a coal-fired power plant west of Mattoon. The project, which could produce hundreds of jobs, would use technology to reduce emissions to near zero and store carbon dioxide pollutants thousands of feet underground in saline deposits, a process known as carbon sequestration.

The Mattoon site was chosen last December for the $1.8 billion project, but the federal Department of Energy pulled financial support in favor of a multi-site plan with claims it would be less costly.

“We have been able to keep the concept of FutureGen alive for almost a year,” Durbin said in a written statement Thursday afternoon. “This morning I met with the FutureGen Alliance. They are still committed to this project and I am as well. We are going to work hard to make sure that the new Secretary of Energy and the new Administration make an early commitment to FutureGen so we can move forward.”

Also attending the meeting were U.S. Congressmen Tim Johnson, John Shimkus and Jerry Costello. The lawmakers and their staff members were briefed by FutureGen Alliance Chairman Paul Thompson and FutureGen CEO Mike Mudd, as well as various members of the alliance board of directors. The alliance includes 13 companies with ties to coal on several continents.

Since the Department of Energy began exploring alternatives to FutureGen, Durbin and members of the Illinois Congressional delegation have pursued several legislative options in order to keep the original project alive. Shortly after the announcement by the DOE, dropping its support for the single plant in Mattoon, Durbin informed the White House he would hold all DOE nominations until the FutureGen project moved forward.

Durbin said Thursday he has held up three nominations.

But the nomination of a new DOE chairman is a key factor in the future of FutureGen, Mulka said.

“We have to take this one president at a time. We don’t know who the new energy secretary will be,” Mulka said.

The Associated Press Thursday listed three possible candidates for secretary of energy:

n Dan Reicher, director of climate change and energy initiatives at Google, former assistant energy secretary in charge of efficiency and renewable energy programs in the Clinton administration.

n Former Rep. Philip Sharp, D-Ind., president of Resources for the Future think tank.

n Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.

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yeah right wrote on Nov 20, 2008 10:02 PM:

" Persistent we are! For FutureGen will come!

Fantasy young Skywalker it is! lol "

cman wrote on Nov 21, 2008 6:24 AM:

" can we just finally give up on this whole futuregen thing??? There is no need to fill up the paper with more of these wish list stories. Obama is not the "savior" everyone thinks he is - especially for downstate Illinois. "

The Question wrote on Nov 21, 2008 10:50 AM:

" First FutureDead! Then they'll dig Lincoln Lake and open a big, spanking-new buggy whip factory right next to it! "

Old Grumpy wrote on Nov 21, 2008 5:06 PM:

" How does FutureGen stack up against a Wall Street meltdown? The project in Mattoon is dead, how long will it take for the J/G to realize the world does not revolve around Central Illinois? "

Harry Potter wrote on Nov 21, 2008 8:43 PM:

" I would like to suggest the name be changed from FutureGen to Angela's Folly. Those signs need to be taken down, they are beginning to be an embarrassment. They only serve as a reminder of one of the biggest flops in the history of Mattoon. "

soybeanpod wrote on Nov 22, 2008 5:02 PM:

" Hey, at least some are trying to get jobs and business into the area.

But at the same time, my concern is the co2 that is put into the ground. I think even the experts are not certain what the pressure and chemical will do over time and if it can be fully contained. Don't forget, co2 is what is being blamed on global warming and where it is being put is a major underground water source. Besides, the feds are broke. "

Harry Potter wrote on Nov 23, 2008 9:56 AM:

" Times have changed. Years ago no one wanted a prison built in their area, but when the economy went south everyone was bidding to get one placed in their town. Now we are so desperate for jobs that we're willing to put something in place that is experimental, possibly dangerous and right next to an elementary school no less. A truly sad commentary on the times, I guess. "