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Gov. Perry Congratulates Illinois on FutureGen Selection

Statement from Gov. Rick Perry regarding the U.S. Department of Energy’s selection of Illinois to host the FutureGen project:

“I congratulate ­­­­the City of Mattoon, Illinois, on its winning bid for hosting the FutureGen project. And though Texas was not selected, our teams in Jewett and Odessa and our state officials deserve to be commended for developing impressive proposals to attract this project to the Lone Star State. I am certain that the public-private partnerships identified and leveraged in our bid process will be valuable as Texas looks to take on future alternative energy projects.

“Though Illinois submitted the winning proposal, the benefits of this research will span the nation. The more we invest today in alternative energy sources like clean-coal, the better equipped we will be to keep up with an ever-growing population, while keeping our environment clean and further utilizing domestic fuel sources.”

Texas’ effort to attract FutureGen was directed by Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael L. Williams, who chairs the FutureGen Texas team, and by state geologist Dr. Scott Tinker, director of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas, which reviewed and assembled Texas' two proposals. Hoxie Smith led the Permian Basin FutureGen team and Tom Wilkinson directed the Jewett team.

“It is disappointing to Texans that the FutureGen Alliance ultimately chose a project site in Illinois. However, I vow to begin working as quickly as possible to make FutureGen-like projects a reality in Texas,” said Williams. “There are many clean energy projects on the drawing boards and I, for one, am ready to get busy.”