ADM is replacing its coal-fired power plant in Decatur, Illinois with a 452 MW gas-fired plant that will capture over 90% of its CO2 emissions. Broadwing Energy will build the plant, and the captured CO2 will go into ADM's existing permanent carbon storage wells. The current coal plant has 335 MW of capacity and powers one of the world's largest agricultural processing hubs. Decatur is ADM's North American headquarters and its largest employment center with more than 4,000 workers. The company is also spending more than $103 million to modernize key facilities at the site. Illinois law requires coal plants to close by 2045 under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, so this transition keeps the site generating while cutting emissions. Environmental groups support moving off coal because of public health risks, including particulates linked to asthma and heart problems. The project still depends on the carbon capture system performing at the promised rate, and the article does not state when the existing coal plant will close.
