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Illinois unveils lobbying team for FutureGen today

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By Kurt Erickson | Tuesday, October 17, 2006 |

SPRINGFIELD — State officials are hoping an A-list of state, federal and local representatives will help Illinois outmuscle Texas in the race to win a $1 billion experimental power plant.

In an announcement scheduled for today, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is expected to unveil the FutureGen for Illinois Task Force, which is aimed at drumming up support to bring the futuristic zero-emissions coal-fired power plant to one of two sites in Illinois.

Although Blagojevich is not scheduled to attend the session at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, those expected to be on hand for the event include U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, an Urbana Republican who represents the two Illinois communities — Mattoon and Tuscola — that are in the running for the job-rich plant.

The task force had been scheduled to meet for the first time a few weeks ago, but the meeting had to be postponed because Congress was still in session.

“Not only does our state have the geology, infrastructure and a strong track record of developing clean coal technology, but we also have a dedicated group of leaders that believe in FutureGen’s tremendous possibilities for our state and our country,” Blagojevich said in a statement Monday.

The sites in Mattoon and Tuscola are competing for the project against two communities in west Texas.

The plant, to be funded by private industry, the U.S. government and a number of foreign governments, is expected to create 1,300 construction jobs and 150 permanent jobs.

The lobbying effort is just one element of the state’s push to bring the plant to Illinois. Along with promoting Illinois as having the correct geology to build the facility, the state is paying the Chicago-based public relations firm of Jasculca Terman to help market the state’s bid.

Jasculca Terman has a public relations contract with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity worth more than $2 million.

Texas officials have their own public relations campaign under way. The Lone Star State has formed the FutureGen Texas Team, which includes congressmen and state lawmakers, to lobby in favor of bringing the power plant to one of two sites near Odessa.

A decision on where the plant will be built is scheduled for September 2007.

Kurt Erickson can be contacted at kurt.erickson@lee.net or (217) 782-1249.