For Release: Wednesday, January 7, 2009

DURBIN AND DELEGATION MEMBERS DISCUSS FUTUREGEN WITH DOE SECRETARY NOMINEE

Washington - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation today discussed the importance of moving FutureGen forward as soon as possible with President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu. The meeting included Representatives Tim Johnson (R-IL), Judy Biggert (R-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Jerry Costello (D-IL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) along with staff from the office of Representative John Shimkus (R-IL).

“The Obama Administration’s approach toward the environment and securing our nation’s energy future is encouraging,” said Durbin. “It is clear after today’s meeting, Dr. Chu understands the importance of FutureGen to Illinois and is fully aware of the delegation’s commitment to moving the project forward. Having fought to keep FutureGen alive for nearly a year, I am looking forward to working with the Illinois Delegation, Dr. Chu and the Obama Administration to make this project a reality.”

“I am highly encouraged by Secretary Chu’s open-mindedness on this issue and as I told him in our meeting, he is 180 degrees apart from the last Secretary of Energy who attempted to abandon this project against all reason. Secretary Chu agreed that coal is an important element of our energy future, and based on his comments, I remain optimistic that as the new Administration gains momentum, FutureGen will indeed be part of our future,” said Johnson.

“It was a pleasure to meet Doctor Chu and remind him that his new boss’s home state is united in its support of FutureGen and advancing clean, domestic energy sources,” said Biggert. “Illinois has played a central role in developing and implementing cutting-edge energy technologies, and we intend to continue that progress under the Obama Administration. My thanks to Doctor Chu, Senator Durbin, and my other Illinois colleagues for coming together early to discuss this important issue.”

“Dr. Chu clearly understands the importance of clean coal in the energy issues facing the country and the world, and I’m looking forward to working with the new Department of Energy. I’m hopeful that FutureGen and other new projects will not only help us solve our energy crisis, but can start generating new jobs here in Illinois,” said Foster.

“We had a very open and honest discussion with Dr. Chu about the background, goals and benefits of the FutureGen project,” said Costello. “As a delegation, we emphasized the environmental and economic reasons to move quickly to develop advanced clean coal technologies, particularly carbon sequestration, and he was very receptive to this message.”

“It is clear from today’s meeting that the Obama Administration’s position toward investing in renewable energy represents a dramatic departure from the current administration, which has dragged its feet on the FutureGen project,” said Schakowsky. “President Obama and Dr. Chu are both committed to making our country energy independent and using science-based technology to find long term solutions to our energy crisis. I look forward to working with Dr. Chu and the Obama Administration to put Illinois on the cutting edge of this emerging technology.”

“I fully support the advancement of FutureGen in Mattoon,” said Shimkus. “As one of the first supporters of this project and a strong supporter of Illinois coal, I know that we must move forward in developing clean coal technology. The federal government should be a partner in this research in order to meet our future energy needs. I look forward to working with Dr. Chu on FutureGen and other energy issues important to our state and nation.”

Today’s meeting is part of the Illinois Delegation’s effort to prepare to go to work on day one with the Obama Administration on FutureGen. In November, Durbin and members of the Illinois delegation were briefed on the status of FutureGen by the Chairman of the FutureGen Alliance, Paul Thompson, the President and CEO of the FutureGen Alliance, Mike Mudd, and various members of the Alliance Board of Directors. They also discussed how to move forward with FutureGen under the next Administration.

Since the Department of Energy began exploring alternatives to FutureGen in January 2008, Durbin and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation have pursued several legislative options in order to keep the project alive. In the meantime, the State of Illinois and industry have kept FutureGen at Mattoon moving forward and it is now five years ahead of any other project, making it the best hope for rapid progress on large-scale, integrated carbon capture and carbon sequestration.

The FutureGen Initiative, initially announced by President Bush in February 2003, is a government-industry project which will produce the first emissions-free coal generation plant of its kind. Mattoon was selected after intense competition (12 proposals from 7 states), in a transparent process that the DOE participated in developing and reviewing.

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