[WASHINGTON, DC] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the new Chairman of the Board of the FutureGen Alliance, Steve Winberg, to discuss their commitment to seeing that Mattoon, Illinois is home to the first emissions-free coal generation plant.

“FutureGen is a critical research component of addressing our nation’s energy needs in a cleaner, more efficient way,” said Durbin.  “The Illinois Congressional Delegation, the State of Illinois, the Department of Energy and the FutureGen Alliance are united in their commitment to seeing FutureGen built in Mattoon, Illinois. I look forward to working with the new Chairman of the Board and the rest of the FutureGen Alliance as we move this project forward.”

Steve Winberg is the General Manager for CONSOL Energy Research & Development and has 28 years of experience in the energy industry, ranging from power generation equipment design and installation to use of innovative fuels.  Steve began his career with Foster Wheeler as a start-up engineer on coal-fired utility boilers.  He spent 14 years in the natural gas industry working on various environmental issues including co-firing, re-burn, and natural gas compressor compliance. He represented the gas industry on EPA's Acid Rain Advisory Committee and participated in various regulatory rulemaking initiatives involving end-use application of natural gas.   Steve has a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from SUNY Maritime College and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.

The FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc, a non-profit consortium of some of the largest coal producers and users in the world, was formed to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy on the FutureGen project. This public - private partnership will use cutting-edge technologies to build a first of its kind coal-fueled, reduced emissions power plant that will generate electricity while capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide deep beneath the earth.