ILLINOIS: Governor's Energy Plan to create 30,000 Jobs

In a bid for re-election, Governor Rod Blagojevich is promoting a capital bill to invest heavily in Illinois’ agricultural and energy sectors for the expansion of crop-based biofuel refineries including four cellulosic ethanol facilities to convert the corn stover. Over half of the budget would go toward building as many as 10 new coal gasification plants, which would convert the state's coal into synthetic natural gas and the construction of a carbon sink pipeline to dispose of the carbon dioxide from gasification.

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Blagojevich unveils $1.2B energy plan
Gov. estimates his plan will create 10,000 permanent jobs
from Crain's Chicago Business

AP - Saying Illinois' dependence on foreign oil demands alternatives using homegrown resources, Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans an ambitious, $1.2 billion energy plan that includes generating more fuel from the state's abundance of corn and soybeans.

Blagojevich, a Democrat seeking a second term in November, unveiled the proposal Tuesday, using as a backdrop Mike Campbell's family corn, wheat and soybean farm near the St. Louis suburb of Edwardsville.

The plan includes investing $225 million over the next five to 10 years to build as many as 20 plants to turn corn into ethanol, five soy biodiesel plants and four facilities that would make ethanol from plant waste like corn husks.

With gas prices over $3 a gallon, Blagojevich wants to use biofuels to meet half the state's gasoline needs by 2017.

Other parts of the proposal include:

ensuring that every gas station in the state offers E-85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, by 2017.

spending $775 million over the next 10 years to help build as many as 10 new coal gasification plants, which would convert the state's coal into synthetic natural gas.

spending $100 million on a pipeline to move underground the carbon dioxide emitted during the coal gasification process. That same gas could then be used to help recover oil from southeastern Illinois.

Blagojevich estimates his plan will create 10,000 permanent jobs and 20,000 construction jobs.


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