When funding was pulled for the FutureGen project here in my little eastern Illinois town, it was a crushing blow for a community energized by what it would have meant to the local economy. For those of you unfamiliar with the project, FutureGen concept is a cutting edge, coal fueled energy that produces near-zero emissions, storing the carbon dioxide beneath the earth. Hydrogen and other byproducts would also be produced for possible utilization by other industries.

Artist's rendering of the FutureGen Plant

The finalists for possible locations for the project came down to two locations in Illinois (Mattoon being the chosen one in which I reside), and two in Texas. When President Bush pulled the plug on the project, it's hardly surprising that people began to grumble that he did out of "spite". Personally, I think that's a bit ridiculous. More likely the case is simply Bush's lack of concern for environmental issues. On that front, his record is deplorable.

Now with a new administration about to take the reigns, there is talk that FutureGen might get another review. On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois speculated that a proposed federal stimulus package might give a jump start to a few products here in the land of Lincoln -- with FutureGen topping the list. Obama made much during the presidential campaign, as did McCain, about strong intentions to pursue cleaner energy technologies. Let's hope he now plans to make good on that promise.

Now for the big question: Is "clean coal" the best avenue to take in the long run. The term itself is a bit of an oxymoron, since no entirely "clean" technologies exist for utilizing coal for energy. The 1990 Clean Air Act defined the term as simply as any technologies that achieve "significant reductions in air emissions” of pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides. I'm far from an expert of this subject. However, I am prone to selfish reasons for wishing to see FutureGen given the green light. We all want to see the communities in which we reside proper and grow. If FutureGen can be a boon to my little burg of less than 19,000, stimulates the job market, and creates a coal bruning plant that results in fewer emissions than traditional models, I'm all for it.

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