Once left for dead by the Bush Administration and subsequently revived by the Obama Administration, the FutureGen clean coal project was granted approval by the U.S. Department of Energy. Construction could begin this year.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has produced a 25-page document granting approval to the FutureGen clean coal project proposed for Meredosia in western Illinois. The $1.65 billion FutureGen project (with $1 billion in funding from the DOE) will remove carbon dioxide produced during the energy generation process and store it underground.
The project developer, FutureGen Alliance, isn’t completely through the permitting process and must still secure some of the remainder in funding, but construction is expected to commence before the end of the year.
The FutureGen project has been in the works since 2003, when the Bush Administration proposed the project for Mattoon in eastern Illinois, and was thought dead until the Obama Administration launched FutureGen 2.0 and shifted the project to western Illinois. The Sierra Club sued the project in December.
The FutureGen project is an important component of the Obama Administration’s “all of the above” policy for energy infrastructure investment.
FULL STORY: FutureGen gets key U.S. Energy Department approval

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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