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FutureGen back on the table? - update
Projects / Policy, Mar 11 2009 (Carbon Capture Journal)
- A calculation error added around $500 million to the projected cost of the project when it was cancelled last year.
US energy secretary Steven Chu is still considering reviving the project, which may cost up to $2.3 billion today.
The project was cancelled under the Bush administration after projected costs were calculated to have doubled to $1.8 billion. However the calculation did not take account of inflation, which would have made the true value $1.3 billion, according to two reports to the House Committee on Science and Technology.
The reports also concluded that the decision to cancel the project could have set back US clean coal development by a decade.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and a delegation of Illinois congressional members attended discussions in January where they made sure, according to Durbin, that "Dr. Chu understands the importance of FutureGen to Illinois and is fully aware of the delegation's commitment to moving the project forward."
Dr. Chu has not yet made any firm committments, although he said DOE would focus on "bringing [CCS] technology along as quickly as possible." Obama has however previously talked about reviving the project.
House Committee on Science and Technology
