Ohio, 19 others are vying for plant

The plant would generate 250 permanent jobs.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Supporters of Ohio's efforts to land a $1 billion, coal-fired power plant say they're optimistic about the state's chances.
"We're going to do our very best to put the best proposal forward," Jo Ann Davidson said Thursday.
"We believe we have the beginnings of a very competitive proposal," said Mark Shanahan.
Davidson, the former Republican Ohio House speaker, and Shanahan, executive director of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, are among those leading the state's efforts to snag FutureGen, the U.S. Department of Energy's plan to build the next generation of coal-fired power stations.
Ohio is among 20 states vying to land the project. Backers say the project, when complete, will be the cleanest fossil fuel power plant in the world with nearly no air pollution and virtually no contribution to global warming.
Once the winning state is identified, the project will have about $750 million in federal funding and about $250 million from various power companies and utilities, backers said.
And, the project could generate 1,100 construction jobs and about 250 jobs at the plant site.
Backers said the proposed plant will be able to generate about 275 megawatts of electricity, enough electricity to power 275,000 homes.
State is well-positioned
Leaders of Ohio's efforts to land FutureGen say the state is positioned well to land the project because of the state's abundant coal reserves and deep geology.
Potential Ohio sites have been identified in Athens, Carroll, Clermont, Coshocton, Hamilton, Meigs, Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
Ohio officials hope to submit a proposal later this year and backers say they expect a federal decision on the plant site next year. The FutureGen plant is expected to be operational by 2012.
The decision is expected to be made jointly between the federal energy department and the consortium of utility and power companies dubbed FutureGen Industrial Alliance.
The alliance includes American Electric Power, based in Columbus; CONSOL Energy Inc., based in Pittsburgh; as well as several other domestic and international companies.
During its first 10 years in operation, the proposed FutureGen plant will be a government/industry partnership. After that, the plant will be commercially owned, the details of which are to be negotiated between the alliance and the federal government, project backers say.
Supporters say the project will rely on coal-gasification technology that will reduce air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and Mercury pollutants.
Additionally, the technology captures carbon dioxide that is created during combustion and injects it deep underground, well below fresh-water aquifers, project backers say. Once trapped underground, backers say those gases will be permanently isolated from the atmosphere.