Des Plaines group gets funds for clean power plant

Gas Technology Institute, a Des Plaines-based energy research group, has received $80 million in federal funds to design, build and operate a clean energy power plant in Texas, officials said.

The supercritical carbon dioxide pilot power plant, to be located at the Southwest Research Institute's campus in San Antonio, is intended to improve efficiency and reduce emissions in energy production, according to those involved in the project. Such energy has been historically used in spacecraft, but it's now being applied to terrestrial power generation.

The funds will come from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. GE Global Research is also involved in the project.