Letter to The Honorable Sam Bodman, Secretary, The United States Department of Energy

Letter

DURBIN AND BOND URGE EXTENSION OF FUTUREGEN ALLIANCE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Kit Bond (R-MO) today urged the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Samuel Bodman, to support an extension of the current budget period of the Cooperative Agreement between the DOE and the FutureGen Alliance which is set to expire June 15, 2008.

"We believe it is critical for this program and for the project at Mattoon to move forward" the Senators wrote. "FutureGen is our nation's best hope of addressing the climate change, by creating a near zero-emissions coal fired power plant. While we would prefer that the Department of Energy administratively extend the current budget period of the Cooperative Agreement, we felt compelled to push for this extension legislatively."

Last week, the Senators secured an amendment to Supplemental Appropriations Bill by a unanimous vote of the Senate Appropriations Committee to extend the current cooperative agreement through March 2009. This extension will prevent the Department of Energy from terminating the FutureGen program and preserve the program and previously appropriated funds for the next administration to decide the best way to move forward with FutureGen.

[Text of letter below and attached]

May 19, 2008

The Honorable Sam Bodman
Secretary
The United States Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585

Dear Secretary Bodman:

We write to express our strong support for the FutureGen program as it was originally conceived by the Administration in 2003. We continue to be concerned by actions that you have taken to try to terminate this important initiative.

During consideration of the FY08 Supplemental Appropriations Bill on May 15, 2008, the Senate Appropriations committee added by voice vote our amendment to extend the current cooperative agreement with the FutureGen Alliance through March 2009. We were pleased to have the unanimous support of our colleagues on the Committee.

Unfortunately, we were compelled to take this step to preserve this important program. Our goal is simply to extend the current budget period to March 30, 2009, to allow the next Administration to make its own decision about how to move forward with the FutureGen Program. We believe it is critical for this program and for the project at Mattoon to move forward. FutureGen is our nation's best hope of addressing the climate change, by creating a near zero-emissions coal fired power plant.

While we would prefer that the Department of Energy administratively extend the current budget period of the Cooperative Agreement, we felt compelled to push for this extension legislatively.

Sincerely,

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