The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Illinois still contending for coal project

The effort to bring a $1 billion power plant project to Illinois is in full swing.

The FutureGen Power Plant project, which aims to further clean coal technology, was introduced by the Department of Energy in 2003, and Illinois lawmakers are vying to be a part of it.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's website, FutureGen would be the first of its kind. The site also states that the project expects to take 10 years to complete.

U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-Belleville) said he has worked for the past year to have Illinois considered for the project. He said that although the focus is currently on bringing the project to Illinois, Southern Illinois could be an ideal location.

"I can tell you there are a number of counties and locations in Illinois that have the resources," Costello said. "But none of them have the resources like we have in Southern Illinois."

Costello said he has been leading the effort to bring FutureGen to Illinois not only because Illinois has the necessary ingredients for the project, but also because of the huge economic impact it would have on the state.

"It would be a major economic shot in the arm to the economy of Southern Illinois," Costello said.

John Mead, director of SIU's Coal Research Center, said the University became involved with this project because of its research on coal. He said the current focus is not on Southern Illinois alone, but on explaining how Illinois has good capabilities for the project.

Mead said bringing the project to Illinois would not only have a positive economic impact, but would also demonstrate how Illinois coal is used.

"Having FutureGen in Illinois would mean that we would have a very prominent, large demonstration and laboratory of the most advanced process for coal use," Mead said.

Mead said a formal process for choosing a site has not yet been developed by the Department of Energy, but some general criteria has been identified.

"They are looking for a location where good coal resources would be available, where the sequestration of carbon dioxide would be achievable," Mead said. "The site needs to be in a large area where such a large construction project could be built."

Bill Hoback, bureau chief of Illinois Office of Coal Development, said that Illinois is in competition with Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kansas, Wyoming, Montana and Texas.

In September, Costello presented a petition, signed by 10,000 Illinois residents to Mark Maddox, the acting assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, said Costello's Chief of Staff David Gillies said. The signatures were in support of bringing the FutureGen project to Illinois.

Mead said the SIU Coal Research Center has been working on research that is similar to the goals of the FutureGen project.

"We're currently doing research on a variety of coal utilization topics including the production of hydrogen and the separation of carbon dioxide in coal gasification," Mead said. "Gasification is a very key technology for us, regardless if FutureGen is built or not."

Hoback said their goal is to foresee what the Department of Energy wants and to be prepared to give it to them. He also said he is confident in Illinois' ability to make the project work.

"The state of Illinois has a history of providing incentives for Illinois coal use," Hoback said. "And I personally believe the legislators will step up to the plate and help anyway they can if it is here in Illinois."

 

 

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