[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Recently, Tenaska has been waging a scare campaign about available energy in Illinois and how desperately we need the power from the Taylorville Energy Center.

What they don’t tell you is this: The available Illinois power pool is 304,000 MW. Tenaska would contribute 544 MW to that pool. That’s two-tenths of one percent - like pouring a coffee cup into a bathtub.

Which would be perfectly fine – should even be encouraged – if it didn’t come with a special deal, above market price tag on consumers.

These are the facts:

• The power produced at the Tenaska plant would be five times more expensive than current market price for power. (21.3¢ per kilowatt hour for Tenaska power versus 4¢ per kilowatt hour current market)
• The hit to Illinois consumers: $286 Million per year, every year, for 30 years.

Tenaska describes this increase as small, says it won’t kill a single job statewide. You be the judge:

* The Chicago Public Schools will pay $1 million more every year in higher electricity costs because of this plant.
* The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will pay $1.3 million more per year.
* An industrial supply business in central Illinois will pay $265,025 more.
* A state university will pay $208,959 more per year.
* A retail discount store in southern Illinois will pay $66,204 more per year.