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Lobbyists get a FutureGen extension

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By Mike Riopell | Thursday, November 8, 2007 11:46 PM CST | () comments

SPRINGFIELD — As the federal government takes its time finding a home for a new state-of-the-art power plant, Illinois has extended the contract for the lobbying firm it hired to help steer the project to the state.

The proposed FutureGen plant would use coal to make electricity but pump pollution underground to be stored.

Mattoon and Tuscola in east central Illinois are competing with two towns in Texas for the notoriety and jobs that would come with hosting the prototype.

Earlier this year, the state hired major Washington, D.C., lobbying power Cassidy and Associates to help with the bid for $111,600.

Now, their contract has been extended through June of next year for $192,000 more, state records show.

Mica Mastoff, spokeswoman for Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said the contract was extended because the decision process hadn’t yet ended.

Angela Griffin, head of Coles Together, an economic development group pushing the FutureGen bid, said federal authorities are putting together a final environmental report and a location decision on the plant could come as early as 30 days after it’s done.

“I think it’s this final step that everyone’s waiting for,” she said.

The towns involved have been waiting for a while. FutureGen’s projected budget has ballooned by 50 percent since its initial proposal and the anticipated date for a location decision has been pushed back multiple times.

Now, officials say, an announcement could come by the end of the year.

In the meantime, the state’s contract with Cassidy and Associates directs them to promote Illinois’ bid for the one-of-a-kind power plant to anyone who will listen, including states like Illinois that have lots of coal reserves that could benefit from a power plant that doesn’t pollute.

Earlier this year, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell backed Illinois’ bid over Texas, but it’s unclear if that endorsement will make any difference in the final decision.

Mike Riopell can be contacted at (217) 789-0865 or mike.riopell@lee.net.