By Siobhan Hughes
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The top Illinois lawmaker on Thursday signaled his plans to revive an ambitious program to develop commercial-scale technology to capture and store carbon-dioxide emissions.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced Thursday he met with leaders of the FutureGen Alliance, the private group that had been developing the technology in Mattoon, Ill., before its plans were abruptly cut short earlier this year.
"This morning I met with the FutureGen Alliance," Durbin said in a statement. "They are still committed to this project and I am as well. We are going to work hard to make sure that the new Secretary of Energy and the new Administration make an early commitment to FutureGen so we can move forward."
The Bush administration early this year all but ended the project after it backed out of a cost-sharing arrangement, citing cost overruns. Instead, the U.S. Energy Department shifted course and decided to fund multiple, smaller-scale projects around the U.S.
Now, with President-elect Barack Obama set to take over in January, the Illinois delegation is hoping Obama's Illinois roots will make a difference. Durbin joined Rep. John Shimkus. R-Ill., and other members of the delegation in discussions about "moving forward with FutureGen under the next Administration."
-By Siobhan Hughes, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-6654; Siobhan.Hughes@dowjones.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 20, 2008 17:37 ET (22:37 GMT)

Publié le 20 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones