Secretary Ernest Moniz
Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20585

Feb. 25, 2015

The Green Scissors coalition, made up of environmental, taxpayer and free-market groups dedicated to eliminating wasteful spending that is also harmful to the environment, applauds your recent decision to cut off funding for the FutureGen 2.0 project in Meredosia, Ill. After a decade of intermittent federal support, it is a relief to see the $1 billion allocated in the 2009 stimulus withdrawn.

FutureGen has long been highlighted by the Green Scissors coalition as an unnecessary expense that should be eliminated. Carbon capture and sequestration technology has yet to prove itself as either technologically or economically viable

Following the example set by FutureGen, and in the same spirit of environmental and fiscal responsibility, we urge you to withdraw funding for other carbon capture and sequestration projects, including Summit Power’s Texas Clean Energy Project and Hydrogen Energy California, which have been allocated a total of $650 million in stimulus funding.

We request that you end Department of Energy support for these projects. The demise of FutureGen 2.0 is the perfect opportunity to begin rethinking government subsidies for this risky and unproven technology.

Kind regards,

The Green Scissors Coalition

Friends of the Earth
Taxpayers for Common Sense
The R Street Institute

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