© 2025 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Illinois lawmakers speak out against FutureGen decision

Two Illinois lawmakers are speaking out against the recent decision to end federal funding for a clean-coal project in Meredosia.
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk and Gov. Bruce Rauner issued a statement Wednesday regarding the long-planned FutureGen project. The Republican politicians said they were thoroughly disappointed in the U.S. Department of Energy's decision to bring a hasty end the project. But Kirk and Rauner said they will not give up on advancements in clean-coal technology and bringing more new jobs to Illinois.
Spokesman Bill Gibbons with the federal agency told The Associated Press on Tuesday the department concluded the project couldn't meet a September deadline to use its $1 billion in federal stimulus funding.
A spokesman for the FutureGen Alliance said the group has no choice but to shut down because it can't finish the $1.65 billion project without federal funding.
 

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.