Press Releases

The FutureGen Industrial Alliance today announced that power generator PPL Corporation has joined the non-profit consortium of global electric utilities and coal companies working with the U.S. Department of Energy to site and develop FutureGen, the world's cleanest coal-fueled power plant.

PPL becomes the tenth member of the Alliance, which is facilitating design, construction and operation of the first "zero-emissions" coal-fueled power plant and hydrogen production facility with integrated carbon capture and sequestration.

"PPL's participation demonstrates continued interest among U.S. and international energy companies to work toward developing solutions to meet long-term energy challenges through clean energy from coal," said FutureGen Alliance Chairman Dr. Charles Goodman, Senior Vice President of Generation Policy for Southern Company.

PPL Corporation , headquartered in Allentown, Pa., controls about 12,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America.

"The Alliance companies are forward-thinking coal and energy companies that are using 21st Century technologies to provide low-cost energy and address climate change," said William F. Hecht, PPL's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We're pleased to join with such a group to supply the nation's growing demand for energy in an environmentally responsible way."

The Alliance has issued a siting proposal and received 12 project bids from seven states to host FutureGen. The Alliance will decide upon a short list of candidate sites by late summer. The Department of Energy will review the candidate sites in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act prior to the Alliance's selection of a final site by late-summer 2007.

The FutureGen Alliance represents 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, Rio Tinto Energy America, Peabody Energy and Southern Company. The Alliance is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy to design and build the facility.

These companies provide energy to tens of millions of residential, business, and industrial customers in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, the People's Republic of China, South Africa and the United States, among other regions.

  For more information visit http://futuregenalliance.org/ .

  MEDIA CONTACTS

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

  Paul Wirth
  Media Relations
  PPL Corporation
  (610) 774-5532

SOURCE: FutureGen Industrial Alliance