FutureGen backers schedule rally
ARCOLA – Area residents can show their support for bringing FutureGen to Illinois, as well as see a demonstration of how the proposed power plant would work, at a rally Sunday in Arcola.
Political and business leaders, scientists, and residents from both Illinois finalists, Tuscola and Mattoon, will gather at Arcola High School at 1:30 p.m.
Tuscola and Mattoon are competing against the Texas cities of Odessa and Jewett to get the $1.5 billion FutureGen power plant.
FutureGen is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy and a nonprofit consortium of private companies that use or produce coal to build the world's first coal-fueled, near-zero-emissions power plant.
Most power plants release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as carbon fuels are burned, but FutureGen will use new technology to convert coal into a gas to produce electricity.
Instead of emitting carbon dioxide into the air, the gas will be piped a mile underground to an ancient saltwater sea contained by sandstone. The gas will dissolve in the water over 100 years.
At Sunday's rally, Sallie Greenberg, an associate geochemist for the Illinois State Geological Survey, will present a live model that demonstrates how sequestering works.
"I have a model that demonstrates the process of geological sequestration," Greenberg said. "It's a 16-inch Lucite box with two separate reservoirs in it that simulates what subsurface geology looks like. The model is designed to show what carbon dioxide looks like when injected into the surface."
Then pep bands from Arcola, Tuscola and Mattoon will perform at what is being billed as a "Bring FutureGen Home to Illinois" pep rally.
"This rally is a thank-you to everybody throughout Illinois who helped with the project and proposals and research over the last two years," said Brian Moody, executive director of Tuscola Economic Development Inc. "Every time we show our support for FutureGen, I think it makes us that more attractive to the Alliance."
Moody said the rally will also include local and state elected officials.
Tuscola City Administrator Drew Hoel said he expects an announcement on which city will get the $1.5 billion FutureGen clean coal power plant during the third week of December.
Hoel said the Department of Energy issued its final environmental impact statement on Nov. 16. The statement said all four finalist communities would be suitable to host FutureGen.
Since a 30-day public comment period is required before a decision could be made, Hoel said Dec. 17 would be the first day that the FutureGen Alliance could name a site.
"Our expectation is that they will try to make an announcement before Christmas," Moody said. "We feel that the geology of the two sites in Illinois make them attractive sites for FutureGen, so we feel that science will guide the board to a decision favoring Illinois."
The rally comes days after the announcement that the governor of Wyoming joined his counterparts in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in throwing their support behind the two finalists in Illinois.
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