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DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Google is entering a carbon capture partnership with Broadwing Energy at ADM's facility in Decatur, according to an announcement by the tech giant on Thursday. 

According to Michael Terrell, Google Head of Advanced Energy, the project in Decatur supplements Google's desire to find enhanced geothermal, advanced nuclear and long-duration energy storage. 

Terrell said natural gas with carbon capture and storage, known as CCS, is a critical source of clean firm power. 

Google called its agreement with Broadwing a "first-of-its-kind corporate agreement to support a gas power plant with CCS." 

Broadwing Energy will be located at ADM's Decatur facility. Broadwing is connected to Low Carbon Infrastructure (LCI), a Houston-based energy company. 

Google said the new power plant with over 400 MW of generating capacity will be built on site. The CO2 generated by the plant will be permanently stored at ADM's EPA-approved sequestration facility more than a mile underground. 

Google said the commercial operation should be up and running by early 2030, creating around 750 full-time jobs over the next four years. Dozens of permanent jobs would be needed to run the facility, including operational and maintenance positions.

According to Broadwing, the CO2 will be injected into a geological formation called the Mt. Simon formation, which stretches beneath most of the Midwest. It is a sandstone reservoir.  

Carbon capture and storage, according to Google, "works by capturing CO2 from a power plant or industrial facility and permanently storing it deep underground. Leading global institutions like The International Energy Agency (IEA) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agree that it is a valuable tool, because it can significantly reduce emissions from power generation and carbon-intensive industries like steel manufacturing and cement production."

Broadwing said the plant in Decatur will be a low-carbon, gas-fired cogeneration power plant generating both electricity and process steam for industrial use, with 90% of the plant's carbon dioxide emissions going into underground storage. 

LCI said Google will purchase a majority of the plant's power to support its Midwest data centers. 

According to the Environmental Law Institute, some concerns about CCS are high expenses and the unknown impacts of long-term storage of this type. 

It is not clear what the total cost of the project will be. 

Broadwing said the facility will "cultivate long-term economic activity and growth for the Decatur, Macon County and surrounding areas." 

Right now, Broadwing said applications for permits are underway. Construction is expected to start in 2026. Steam and power generation would go online towards the end of 2029, with carbon capture operational in early 2030.

ADM referred questions to Google about the project. WAND News reached out to Google's press team. 

This is a developing story. 

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