Marshall may not qualify for FutureGen

MARSHALL, Ill. (WTHI) - A Wabash Valley town disappointed with FutureGen Alliance after spending thousands of dollars.

Marshall, Illinois was a prime candidate for the original coal-powered power plant and storage site back in 2006.

This year, city officials re-submitted their proposal after the town of Mattoon turned the storage site project down.

However, Marshall was given bad news this second time around.

On October 28, 2010 at a bidder's meeting, officials in Marshall were told the city may not qualify for the storage site of FutureGen 2.0 after all. The location of the site may stand in their way; a criteria that was never an issue before.

The FutureGen Alliance told Marshall Mayor Kenneth Smith this 300 acre site may be too close to Indiana.

In fact, the large farm field is only three miles from the state line, not the 20 miles the Alliance is now requiring.

According the FutureGen's website this requirement is subject to change, but states they don't want to risk the carbon dioxide going outside Illinois.

A concern Smith said was never mentioned 4 years ago when they spent tens of thousands of dollars to qualify.

"We felt that was not an issue because that had been worked out in the first proposal with Indiana," Marshall Mayor Kenneth Smith said. "When we were graded, we were graded on good points and bad points and that wasn't even one of our bad points, so it was no affect then at all."

He believes their county unemployment rate of 11.4-percent may play role in this criteria.

Mayor Smith said Illinois law states once the unemployment rate hits a certain rate companies must use at least 80-percent Illinois employees.

"It's not a bad rule but it is when you're only nine miles from the Indiana line and 15 miles from Terre Haute, which houses most of our unions," Mayor Smith said.

Terre Haute unions that most local residents work out of even though they spend their salaries locally.

Mayor Smith said the money spent on the proposals won't be a total waste. They plan to advertise the land to other power plants or coal companies if FutureGen doesn't work.

Final applications for the FutureGen 2.0 storage site are due November 15.

FutureGen Alliance said they will announce the selected site in early 2011.