Press Releases

The FutureGen Industrial Alliance reported today that offerors in nine states (totaling 22 sites) have expressed an interest in hosting the FutureGen Project -- the world's first coal-fueled "zero emissions" power plant that will generate electricity and hydrogen while capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide deep underground. The Request for Proposals stipulates that offerors were to provide a notice of their intent to submit a proposal and the number of sites that will be proposed, by March 24, 2006. Furthermore, it states that the names of offerors submitting notices will not be publicly released.

Given the complexity and rigor of the proposal process, the Alliance expects that a smaller number of sites may actually be offered. Alliance CEO Mike Mudd said, "The large number of notices of intent received is not surprising based on the importance that this project has regarding the future of coal and the interest expressed by many stakeholders in this very important project."

The Alliance is seeking sites that are consistent with the requirements and objectives of the FutureGen project and have broad applicability domestically and internationally. FutureGen has an aggressive schedule to site the plant and begin construction within three years. The project is expected to accelerate the commercialization of the best technologies so that ultimately a whole fleet of plants based on the FutureGen design can be sited and developed worldwide.

Proposals to host the site are due May 4, 2006. More information about FutureGen can be found on the Alliance's website http://www.futuregenalliance.org/ .

The FutureGen Alliance is a coalition whose members include some of the world's largest coal companies and electric utilities including: American Electric Power; Anglo American; BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng Group; CONSOL Energy Inc., Foundation Coal; Kennecott Energy, a member of the Rio Tinto group; Peabody Energy; and Southern Company. These companies provide energy to tens of millions of U.S. and international residential, business, and industrial customers in Asia, Australia, Canada, Continental Europe, the People's Republic of China, South Africa and the United States, among other regions.

  MEDIA CONTACT
  Fredrick D. Palmer
  FutureGen Industrial Alliance
  External Relations Committee Chair
  (314) 342-7624

SOURCE: FutureGen Alliance