Wisconsin Gov. Doyle cites Illinois’ geology and commitment to clean coal as vital assets
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ — Wisconsin today joined the growing alliance of states supporting Illinois’ bid to secure FutureGen, a $1.4 billion, coal-to-energy, state-of-the-art facility.
In a letter submitted to Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle endorsed locating the project in Mattoon or Tuscola, two of four remaining finalists for this public-private partnership. Wisconsin joins Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky in their support of Illinois’ effort to attract FutureGen.
Gov. Blagojevich, the Illinois Congressional delegation, and state and local partners across Illinois have been working for more than four years to bring FutureGen to Illinois. The FutureGen Industrial Alliance, which is developing the facility for the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), is expected to announce its final selection from the four remaining sites by the end of the year.
“Projects like FutureGen create an exhilarating opportunity for new regionalism. We feel strongly that the evolution of cleaner coal technologies will be of vital importance to the nation, and specifically the Midwest, and we enthusiastically back the important research that would be conducted at an Illinois FutureGen plant,” Governor Doyle stated in the letter. “Midwestern states have demonstrated a strong commitment to converting to cleaner energy sources, technology advancement and energy conservation, and Illinois’ competitive bid to host a FutureGen project and maximize its geologically ideal sites for such a project is an important demonstration of this commitment.”
In thanking Governor Doyle for his backing, Gov. Blagojevich said, “Support from states like Wisconsin further validates our belief that Illinois possesses the geology, expertise, transportation infrastructure and community backing needed for the FutureGen project to meet all of its ambitious goals. With the help of our neighbors in Wisconsin, we will continue to demonstrate why FutureGen belongs in Illinois.”
Like many other Midwest states, Wisconsin relies on coal as a primary fuel for electricity generation. According to the Center for Energy and Economic Development, more than 70 percent of Wisconsin’s electricity is produced using coal. FutureGen will serve as a prototype for the next generation of safe and affordable coal-fueled power plants.
Technology researched and demonstrated through FutureGen will serve as the basis for new clean coal initiatives in coal consuming states like Wisconsin.
Indiana and Kentucky have been aligned with Illinois on the FutureGen project for many months. Pennsylvania joined the fold last month when Governor Ed Rendell submitted a letter to the FutureGen Alliance in support of FutureGen in Illinois.
FutureGen is designed to be the cleanest fossil fuel-fired power plant in the world. The facility will convert coal into hydrogen and electricity, while capturing and safely storing the carbon dioxide deep underground. It will lay the groundwork for developing similar plants around the country and the world, pioneering the capture, rather than release greenhouse gases. Illinois is a coal state whose geology will maximize the transferability of FutureGen’s technology.
FutureGen will produce 275 megawatts of electric power, which is enough electricity to power 150,000 homes, as well as hydrogen for fuel cell technology that will serve as the next generation “battery” to operate everything from a computer to a car.
Members of the FutureGen Alliance represent the largest energy companies in the UnitedStates, plus major energy companies in Asia, Europe and Australia.
For more information on FutureGen, please visit http://www.futuregenforillinois.com/.
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Source: State of Illinois
