The Department of Energy announced significant changes to the FutureGen clean coal project today.

According to the announcement, “Under this strategy, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will join industry in its efforts to build IGCC plants by providing funding for the addition of CCS technology to multiple plants that will be operational by 2015.” The original strategy involved developing a single plant.

The announcement goes on to state, “DOE’s investment would provide funding for no more than the CCS component of the power plant – not the entire plant construction, compared with the FutureGen concept announced in 2003 where the federal government would incur 74% of rising costs.” The initial plan called for DOE funding for the entire cost of the plant.

The DOE also issued a request for information (due on March 3, 2008) seeking input on the costs and feasibility for development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.