Tenaska bill once again defeated in Illinois Senate
plattsenergyweektv.com
Coal Trader (28-Oct-11)
The Democrat-controlled Illinois Senate on Thursday once again defeated a bill that would authorize Tenaska to construct a $3.5 billion coal gasification plant in Christian County, leaving the fate of the long-proposed 602-MW project up in the air.
Senators voted 31 to 25 against S.B. 678, which had been revised since the Senate rejected a similar Tenaska measure earlier this year. The latest vote came during the General Assembly's ongoing veto session, which wraps up in mid-November.
Senate President John Cullerton sponsored the amended version, and his press secretary, Rikeesha Phelon, said her boss placed the bill on "postponed consideration" after the unsuccessful vote, meaning it could be brought up again during the veto session or in the regular General Assembly next spring. Phelon said she had not talked to Cullerton since the vote, however, and did not know his current plans.
Tenaska Vice President Bart Ford said in an interview that the Omaha, Nebraska-based independent power producer still hopes for a favorable vote before the veto session ends. "We thought the votes were there," he said. "I think we've addressed every concern that has been raised. I think the legislation was well received. We just need to get a few more votes."
Six, in fact. But whether that is likely is unclear. The project is opposed by Commonwealth Edison, the state's largest electric utility, and its parent company, Exelon. They contend the project would unfairly raise electric rates for Illinois consumers and, indeed, many large industrial customers have opposed the project.
The so-called Taylorville Energy Center plant is supported by Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the Citizens Utility Board consumer watchdog group and several labor unions.
If the bill fails to pass this year, Ford hinted it might be the end of the road for the project, first unveiled four years ago. "This is something we have to get done in the veto session," he said. "If we don't get the vote in the veto session, that's a different matter."
Bob Matyi |
