For Release: Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

HOUSE APPROVES FUNDING FOR FUTUREGEN

Washington - U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL) announced today that the FutureGen clean coal power plant project has received $18 million in the House Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006.  In addition, another $257 million in clean coal funds is set aside exclusively for FutureGen in following years.  The bill must still be considered by the Senate. 

"This is an important step that gives FutureGen increased momentum," said Costello.  "Having the full House of Representatives make the commitment to set aside this substantial amount of money in future years is a significant step forward for the program."

President Bush proposed building a 275-megawatt prototype power plant with emissions equal to those of natural gas in 2003.  Costello has led the effort to locate FutureGen in Illinois, including leading a bipartisan effort in the House to secure funding for the project. 

Costello believes that Southern Illinois is the perfect place to locate the new plant.  The region is rich in high-sulfur coal reserves and the Coal Center at SIUC is located there.  In addition, the geology of the region is well suited to the carbon-trapping technology to be developed.  Illinois is home to oil and gas reserves and deep saline aquifers that can permanently sequester carbon dioxide.

Coal underlies 65 percent of the state's surface and the Illinois coal industry annually produces approximately 35 million tons of coal and generates more than $1 billion in gross revenues. Currently, recoverable coal reserves in the state of Illinois amount to more than 30 billion tons. Illinois has almost one-eighth of the coal reserves in the United States and one-quarter of the nation's bituminous coal reserves. Illinois' coal reserves contain more BTU's than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait .

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