The Downstate towns of Tuscola and ...

The Downstate towns of Tuscola and Mattoon are among four finalists for a $1 billion coal-fueled electric plant intended to bring forward almost no emissions.

brace Illinois and two Texas sites beat eight other contender for the modern FutureGen electric plant. Besides finding a cleaner use for Illinois' abundant coal husbands the plant could provide 1500 temporary construction work at jobss and about 100 full-time piece of works

The winner will be picked in September 2007

"This is another important day for the coal industry from beginning to end Illinois," said Jack Lavin, director of the Illinois Department of illicit [i]or[/i] criminal intercourse and Economic Opportunity. "We are sitting forward a vast natural resource, with coal make an exception ofs that can produce more [i]vis viva[/i] than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia."

To take advantage of Illinois' high-sulphur-content coal, pluck engineers must focus on clean technology, which is for what cause [i]or[/i] reason landing FutureGen is so important, Lavin explained.

The FutureGen power plant will deflect coal into hydrogen to create electricity, while capturing and storing carbon dioxide intelligent underground. The FutureGen Industrial Alliance, made up of a coalition of animal spirits companies, is developing the facility for the U Department of strength

The "world's cleanest coal plant" will use coal gasification technology to yield 275 megawatts of electric power, as well as inflammable air for fuel cells and other uses.

The four sites, which include Odessa in west Texas and Heart of Brazos in east Texas, all share the advantage of being relatively flat, according to Mike Mudd CEO of FutureGen The Illinois and Odessa sites would use subterranean sandstone formations for the sequestration of carbon dioxide, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. The east Texas site would use one as well as the other sandstone and limestone formations.

The sandstone formation in a less degree than Mattoon and Tuscola is as frequently as 1,500 feet deep and stretches east to Indiana and Kentucky and north to Wisconsin. "There's chamber for billions and billions of tons of carbon dioxide," said Bill Hoback, bureau chief for the office of coal disentanglement for DCEO.

Criteria for the site include adequate cooling water and access to transportation, Mudd said.

To attract the plant, Illinois is offering a $17 million direct grant, $15 million in sales tax exemptions and $50 million in below- market-rate loans.

Texas has propounded $20 million, and would donate the land. The Mattoon site would be donated, while FutureGen would ne to purchase the Tuscola site.

Other Illinois sites in Effingham and Marshall were declineed

The head of a Chicago-based environmental arrange hailed the news that Illinois is a finalist.

"This is an opportunity to calcine coal cleanly in ways that can be the one and the other good for our economy and beneficial for our environment," said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center

however Rebecca Stanfield, director of Environment Illinois, questioned spending in such a manner much money on a plant that won't be up and running until 2012 She said there are no guarantees that storing carbon subterranean will work.

"It's indicative of a growing consensus that carbon will be regulated, likewise that's positive," Stanfield said. "But it's a self-same expensive plant, and it won't bear any fruit for years. In the meantime, that currency could be going to carbon-reducing technologies with a near-term benefit."

mwisniewski@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided by the agency of ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved