DOE and FutureGen Alliance Plan Commercial-Scale Carborn Capture and Storage Facility

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the FutureGen Alliance have agreed to develop plans for a commercial carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility in Mattoon, Ill. The flagship facility would be the first in the country designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the provisional agreement, a Record of Decision on the project will be issued by the DOE by mid-July, with the go-ahead for the following: preliminary design activities; completion of an updated cost estimate and completion of a site-specific preliminary design; expansion of the Alliance sponsorship group; a completed funding plan; and potential additional subsurface characterization, all to be pursued from late July 2009 through early 2010. The decision to proceed with the project will be made in early 2010.The DOE expects to contribute $1.073 billion ($1 billion from the Recovery Act funds for CCS research), wth FutureGen Alliance anticipating a $400 million to $600 million contribution.