Analysis of the Taylorville Energy Center Facility Cost Report

              ATTACHMENT D
April 16, 2010 from Sen. Deanna Demuzio, Sen. Kyle McCarter, Rep. Betsy Hannig
For many years, we have supported the Taylorville Energy Center because we believed it would
create jobs and revitalize the Illinois coal industry while protecting ratepayers and the
environment. We are gratified the comprehensive analysis contained in the Facility Cost Report
shows our confidence in this project is justified.
The engineering and cost analysis currently before the ICC was performed over fifteen months
by leading independent experts at a cost of more than $20 million. It shows that the Taylorville
Energy Center will create more than 2,500 desperately needed construction jobs and hundreds of
permanent plant and mining jobs while limiting the impact on residential ratepayers to about
1.8%. While jobs will be created now, ratepayers will see no impact from this project until 2015.
As we all know, our communities in central and southern Illinois were hit particularly hard when
high-sulfur Illinois coal fell out of favor with power generators. The Taylorville Energy Center’s
state-of-the-art gasification technology will show that Illinois coal can again be the fuel of choice.
As members of the General Assembly, our first obligation is to protect our citizens and foster
economic growth, but not at the expense of millions of Illinois ratepayers or the environment.
Accordingly, the 2008 Clean Coal Portfolio Standards Law demanded that new projects of this
type protect residential ratepayers by severely limiting rate increases, even as they were
required to meet the nation’s most rigorous emissions standards including carbon storage.
Taylorville Energy Center’s developer has met the high standards set forth in the legislation and
is expected to be a responsible member of our community. We urge the ICC to support moving
this project forward.
Senator Deanna Demuzio (D-Carlinville)
Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon)
Representative Betsy Hannig (D-Litchfield)
April 16, 2010 from Robert J. Finley
The Taylorville Energy Center would be located in an area of Central Illinois that we at the Illinois
State Geological Survey believe has significant geological carbon sequestration resources. 2D
seismic testing of the injection site has shown no resolvable fault or fracture systems that would
be cause for concern with respect to carbon dioxide containment. We are continuing our research
on geological carbon sequestration at our test site at Decatur, Illinois and expect that many of
the technical results will be applicable to the Taylorville site. Should a pipeline for transporting
carbon dioxide to enhanced oil recovery projects not be available, geological carbon
sequestration resources are available for testing and development at and near the Taylorville
project site.
April 16, 2010 from Ryan Tracy
April 16, 2010
The Honorable Manuel Flores, Acting Chairman