By Meg Thilmony

WASHINGTON – Illinois lawmakers say they're feeling hopeful about the prospect of building FutureGen in Mattoon after a meeting Wednesday morning with President-Elect Barack Obama's nominee for energy secretary.

The Illinois delegation, including U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, met with Steven Chu to bring him up to date about the clean-coal research power plant. The nominee was open to hearing about FutureGen, Durbin said in a conference call Wednesday afternoon.

"I felt it was a very positive response," Durbin said.

After the meeting, Johnson said he's "guardedly optimistic" Chu will support building FutureGen in Mattoon.

Johnson and Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin were "forceful in explaining" how important the project is to lowering both carbon dioxide emissions and dependence on foreign oil, Johnson said in a phone interview.

The $1.8 billion plant was originally planned to be a partnership between the Department of Energy and the FutureGen Alliance. But when the alliance, which is made up of 13 international power companies, announced in December 2007 it wanted to build in Mattoon, the Energy Department refused to sign off on the decision. It later pulled its support in January 2008, saying costs were too high.

Its supporters vowed to keep the project alive until the next administration took over. That will happen in less than two weeks, when Obama is inaugurated.

Durbin said he's trying to confirm support from the President-Elect himself for the project. Obama supported it as an Illinois senator and as a presidential candidate, Durbin said.

"No commitment has been made yet," Durbin said, but he's hoping funding for the project will be included in an upcoming economic stimulus package.

Until that's determined, members of the delegation are "talking to a lot of people behind the scenes to make sure FutureGen is considered," Durbin said.

No effort was made to discuss a timetable for the project with Chu, Durbin said, as Chu's in the delicate position of not being able to speak for Obama or as energy secretary.

At the meeting, Chu told members of the delegation about the challenges of his career change. Now, instead of researching, he'll be working with governmental bodies and elected officials.

"I think he's going to do it well and I think he's going to start with scientific principles," Durbin said. He believes FutureGen qualifies as "good science" because it will help cut down on foreign energy dependence and will develop technology that can be used all over the world.

Johnson said he's hopeful about the project's status, as well.

"I think we can move forth with hope that we can get this project to where we've assumed it will be along," he said.

FutureGen works perfectly with the priorities Obama has been discussing, Johnson said.

"I think at the end of the day, it's (clear) now, in a time of economic downturn, that opportunities like this to marry good science with economic development is precisely the kind of thing (Obama) is talking about," Johnson said.