Where does the Chicago Clean Energy project currently stand?
The project was endorsed by the Illinois General Assembly and passed the House and Senate in May, 2011, with bipartisan majority. On Wednesday, July 13, 2011, Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a measure allowing the project to move forward. Chicago Clean Energy will now undergo a several-year process of regulatory and local review before construction can begin.How is your process clean if it uses coal?
Our process does not burn coal or any other resource. Gasification is a chemical process that removes harmful pollutants from the coal. Our facility will capture and sequester 85 percent of its carbon emissions; the highest mandated level of carbon capture in the nation.What is substitute natural gas?
Substitute natural gas has identical chemical makeup to conventional natural gas. It will be delivered in natural gas pipelines and consumers will not know the difference -- except for savings on their gas bills.Doesn’t the abundant supply of shale gas mean that natural gas prices will be low for the foreseeable future? Why do we need this project?
Recent studies1 are indicating that shale gas may not be the solution to our energy needs it once appeared. Environmental risks have surfaced recently that give the industry pause. Shale production costs are higher than reported. To this point, shale gas wells have underperformed projections.Will consumers experience increased energy prices as a result of this project?
The law that approved this project moving forward mandates that consumers save money. Consumer savings will be greatest when consumers need it most: when natural gas prices spike and are at their highest. The project is designed to align the interests of the developer with those of consumers, incentivizing the developer to find additional ways to save consumers money.
