Green future for fossil fuels

In-Depth

The US Department of Energy has signed an agreement with the FutureGen Industrial Alliance to build FutureGen, a prototype of the fossil-fuelled power plant of the future.

US Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has signed an agreement with the FutureGen Industrial Alliance to build FutureGen, a prototype of the fossil-fuelled power plant of the future.

According to a DOE statement, the $1 billion government-industry project will produce electricity and hydrogen with zero emissions, including carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

The initiative is a response to President Bush’s directive to develop a hydrogen economy by drawing upon the best scientific research to address the issue of global climate change. Over the next year, site selection, design activities, and environmental analyses will lay the groundwork for final project design, construction, and operation.

The FutureGen Industrial Alliance will contribute $250 million to the project. Current Alliance members are: American Electric Power (Columbus, Ohio); BHP Billiton (Melbourne, Australia); CONSOL Energy (Pittsburgh, Pa); Foundation Coal (Linthicum Heights, Md.); China Huaneng Group (Beijing, China); Kennecott Energy (Gillette, Wyo); Peabody Energy (St. Louis, Mo); and Southern Company (Atlanta, Ga).

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