CALIFORNIA As a part of its Clean Coal Power Initiative, the U.S. Dept. of Energy has allocated $304 million of funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a proposed $2-billion hydrogren-fueled powerplant to be built near Taft. The Hydrogen Energy California Project is being developed by Hydrogen Energy International, a joint venture of BP and Rio Tinto. The powerplant will combine petroleum coke and coal with nonpotable water to create hydrogen gas, which will power a net 250-MW power-generating facility. If the project goes forward, construction is expected to begin in 2011, with the plant to begin operation in late 2014.
TENNESSEE John Portman & Associates has issued the preliminary design for a 40-story hotel in Nashville. The project includes 1,000 rooms, 100,000 sq ft of meeting space and an open arcade at the building’s base containing restaurants and retail. The structural-steel tower will have a curved shape, with alternating glass and stone exterior around the base. Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of 2010. The project value is currently estimated at $199 million. Nashville Metro Development & Housing Agency, 712 South 6th St., Nashville 37202-0846. DR# 08-00828951.