April 30, 2010

MATTOON -- Members of Illinois' congressional delegation and economic developers in eastern Illinois are still waiting for word on the future of the FutureGen clean-coal project. But they're optimistic the long-planned plant will be built.

The Department of Energy was initially expected to announce whether it will build the experimental plant in January and then this month.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and other members of Congress from Illinois say negotiations between the agency and the companies hoping to build the plant near Mattoon in eastern Illinois continue.

Angela Griffin of the local Coles Together economic development agency says she's heard an announcement could be a few weeks to a couple of months away.