Decatur council approves Broadwing Energy development agreement after heated public comment

The Decatur City Council on Jan. 27 approved a development agreement with Broadwing Energy LLC that city staff and Broadwing say will support a first‑of‑its‑kind natural‑gas cogeneration plant with carbon capture and sequestration, passing the measure 6–1 after more than an hour of public comment and council questioning.

Jonathan Wiens, founder of Low Carbon Infrastructure and the lead presenter for Broadwing, told the council the project is a ‘‘well over $1,000,000,000’’ investment that pairs Mitsubishi turbines with capture technology and suppliers including Kiewit and emphasized equipment lead times and the need to move quickly. ‘‘Decatur knows how to do heavy industry,’’ Wiens said, adding that the company has buyers lined up and is ‘‘ready to move forward.’’

Supporters from industry and the economic development community urged approval. ‘‘This project is a win‑win for both Broadwing and Decatur,’’ said Colin Graves of ADM, who described the project as necessary for ADM to comply with state clean‑energy law while maintaining local jobs. Mark Densler of the Illinois Manufacturers Association called it an opportunity to ‘‘put Decatur on the map’’ and said the project would generate significant construction activity and some permanent positions.

Opponents and neighborhood advocates urged delay or rejection, citing environmental and public‑health concerns, unresolved technical questions and a history of alleged nondisclosure by an existing operator. ‘‘Do not sign the contract with Broadwing,’’ said Manley Mallard of Illinois People’s Action, who raised concerns about long‑term CO2 injection and local health risks. Alan Wade asked the council to postpone the vote until independent answers are available about water use and prior incidents.

Council members pressed Broadwing and city staff for technical clarifications. City staff said Broadwing will pay 100% of a required water main and that the sanitary sewer lift station is estimated to cost about $24,000,000, with the city’s share roughly $12,000,000. Asked whether Broadwing’s agreements require CO2 sequestration under Lake Decatur, Wiens said Broadwing’s ‘‘possession of CO2 ends in our fence line.’’ City staff and Wiens said the project team will work on training and emergency‑response coordination with local fire services.

The council also discussed municipal tax implications. City staff said natural‑gas municipal use tax would apply ‘‘if users meet the requirements of the code,’’ but acknowledged negotiations had focused on water and sewer infrastructure rather than gas procurement. Councilmember and meeting questioners pressed for clarity on whether major users would count toward the city’s gas‑use caps and the potential long‑term revenue implications.

After a failed motion to table the agreement, the council voted to adopt the development agreement 6–1, with Councilwoman Cruz casting the lone vote against it. Several speakers and council members noted that federal permitting decisions (including any EPA review of sequestration) and future city approvals will govern whether and where CO2 is injected in the region.

The council’s approval authorizes the city to enter the development agreement described in the meeting materials; it does not itself finalize federal or state permits that would govern sequestration or pipeline siting. Staff said Broadwing will fund most on‑site infrastructure and that the city will oversee design and installation of public work elements included in the agreement.

Next steps identified by staff include finalizing design details, continuing water‑capacity planning, and coordinating any required public‑safety training; federal and state permitting processes remain separate and may affect ultimate project operations.