Illinois Business Journal Illinois Business Journal
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Ohio, Kentucky unite on $3 billion bridge, interstate project
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The Ohio and Kentucky Departments of Transportation are combining resources on a $2 billion to $3 billion bridge project. The Brent Spence Bridge Project, to include 6.5 miles of interstate and a span linking Cincinnati, Ohio with Covington, Kentucky, is expected to begin construction in 2015.		 . By KERRY L. SMITH

   As Illinois and Missouri continue a shared funding stalemate on the Mississippi River Bridge Project, two other states are moving ahead on a project more than twice that size without nearly as much financial backing.
   The Ohio and Kentucky Departments of Transportation are in the preliminary engineering and phase-one design stage of what will be a $2 billion to $3 billion effort known as the Brent Spence Bridge Project. In addition to either rehabbing or replacing the well-worn span that was built in 1963, the effort will include rehabilitation and widening of 6.5 miles of Interstates 75 and 71. According to Rob Hans, project manager for the Kentucky [continue]

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Local firm buys land in Granite City for ethanol plant

By ALAN J. ORTBALS

   The previously announced VeraSun Energy ethanol plant in Granite City may be on the move.
   According to copies of deeds obtained from the Madison County Recorder of Deeds office, approximately 280 acres of land along Old Alton Road and north of Pontoon Road in Granite City were purchased by American Milling LP and Park 70 LLC, both listing the same address at 4439 Old Alton Road in Granite City.
   Information filed by VeraSun last June with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission indicates that the energy company entered into an agreement with American Milling to lease or purchase property suitable [continue]

 Development of ethanol plants is booming as oil companies replace MTBE with ethanol, driving up the price of both ethanol and gasoline.
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SWECI's customers to fare better than Ameren's, thanks to long-term agreement

By ALAN J. ORTBALS

   In mid November, Southwest Electric Cooperative Inc. signed a 30-year agreement to purchase 78 megawatts per day of electricity from Plum Point Energy Associates LLC, a member of the LS Power Group of St. Louis. The purchase agreement will supply SWECI

. . customers with relatively low-cost power from 2010 through 2040. Kerry Sloan, chief executive officer of SWECI, estimates an increase of just 20 percent over current rates - well below the 50 percent increase AmerenIP customers are facing.
   SWECI is a utility cooperative formed in 1939 to provide electric service to rural homes, farming operations and businesses in eastern Madison, Bond, Fayette and surrounding counties.
   LS Power broke ground on the Plum Point plant, a 665-megawatt pulverized coal facility in Osceola, Ark. in March 2006. The plant is expected to become operational in early to mid 2010.
   SWECI's current contracts to buy energy expire at the end of 2009, but it has located electricity and has entered [continue]