Eastern students may not realize it, but Charleston’s neighboring city of Mattoon might become home to the world’s first zero-emissions coal-fueled power plant.

Mattoon is one of four sites that is still under consideration for the location of the $1.5 billion project. The others are Tuscola; Jewett, Texas; and Odessa, Texas.

Officials from the FutureGen Alliance, a non-profit consortium of coal producers and energy generators, are currently reviewing the proposals. The U.S. Department of Energy is expected to announce the final decision by the end of the year.

Once the site is announced, the plant will begin construction in 2010 and is slated to be finished by 2013.

FutureGen would reduce nitrogen oxide and sulfur emissions to zero, and it would capture carbon dioxide. It would also produce hydrogen, which could be used to fuel pollution-free vehicles. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the prototype will be the cleanest fossil fuel-fired power plant in the world.

The plant will be strong enough to power 150,000 homes by generating 275 megawatts of electricity.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., has been an advocate of getting FutureGen to Illinois.

On Sept. 14, Durbin met with officials from Mattoon and Tuscola as well as state officials to discuss the latest developments. On Oct. 24, he met with Mike Mudd, CEO of the FutureGen Industrial Alliance, and Jack Lavin, director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

FutureGen’s decision was originally supposed to have been made by September of this year. It was later announced that the decision would be made by November, and now the decision is slated to be made by the end of this year.

Durbin wants to ensure the decision will not be pushed back further.

“I am encouraged by the progress that has been made toward securing the FutureGen project for downstate Illinois – an area that has the coal and the commitment needed to make this project a success,” Durbin is quoted saying in a press release. “I have been working closely with Senator Obama and Representative Costello to bring this project to Illinois, and with a final announcement expected in the coming months, I will continue to do everything in my power to secure the FutureGen project for Illinois.”

It all began in 2003, when President Bush officially announced the FutureGen Initiative during his State of the Union Address.

In December of 2005, it was announced that the Department of Energy would begin the project after signing an agreement with the FutureGen Industrial Alliance.

David Wortman, public works director for Mattoon, has been working hard to convince the alliance that Mattoon is the best location for the plant.

Illinois has 38 billion tons of recoverable bituminous coal reserves – the largest in the nation.

But coal transportation costs in Texas are more expensive, adding millions of dollars of expenses.

“A lot of technical stuff is what we have been doing here locally,” Wortman said. “From the time we were named a finalist – which was about a year ago – we have been doing a lot of work to make sure we show that the plant can be built here, meaning that we have all the land issues taken care of . We have been working on technical issues to show how much the construction would cost.”

Wortman said Illinois has been working on a higher level by preparing the incentive package, which tells what kind of tax breaks, grants and low-interest loans FutureGen would get from the state.

In addition, the state has been working on a political level by garnering support from other states. Some of the states that have shown support for Illinois are Pennsylvania, Indiana and Kentucky.

On Aug. 1, all four sites submitted their best and final offers.

“The alliance is now reviewing the technological and environmental data of the four sites,” said Lawrence Pacheco, spokesperson for the FutureGen Industrial Alliance. “The goal is to have it done by the end of the year.”

Pacheco said a specific date is not set for when the decision will be made, and the alliance is not leaning strongly in a particular direction as of now.

“All four bids are very strong,” Pacheco said.

The plant would be very good economically for Mattoon, Wortman said.

“Once the plant is built, it will open 150 full-time jobs, but there will also be secondary jobs to support the full-time jobs. During the construction, there will be about 1,300 temporary jobs,” Wortman said. “It would be a very large impact … The plant is also going to be a research institute, so it’s going to bring in high-paying jobs that will bring in the best and brightest.”

Wortman also added that it would be economically good for the state if either of the two Illinois sites is chosen.

Charleston Mayor John Inyart said if Mattoon is chosen, the city of Charleston would also benefit.

“If Mattoon lands FutureGen, there will be a far-reaching effect into Charleston, both from the construction money that would come in, and there is some opportunity for some supporting businesses that would come along that could either complement FutureGen or utilize some of their byproducts,” Inyart said. “From an employment standpoint, there is a very nice opportunity.”

While it is still unknown at this point which site will be picked, local officials are confident Mattoon has a very good chance.

“We have done everything that we possibly can, and we feel that we have a great site. We think that we have a very good shot at getting it,” Wortman said.

Inyart agreed with Wortman about Mattoon’s viability.

“The proposal put forth by Mattoon and Coles Together was very detailed and very competitive,” Inyart said. “I think we have just as good of chance as any of the other four sites.”