Sangamon Sun

EmberClear Corp. and Siemens USA will partner on the development of a natural gas power plant in Pawnee that will create up to 500 construction jobs and 40 permanent positions in the community, according to a press release from the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (GSCC).

“The partnership with Siemens USA is the culmination to the year-long project coordination with The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the village of Pawnee, the City of Springfield, Sangamon County, and the labor community to bring this $1 billion external investment to the area,” EmberClear Vice President Midwest John Kinnamon said in the release.

Siemens will be providing technical and financial assistance on the project. Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said that the global industrial leader’s investment in the county is a positive signal to other prospective investors.

Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Chris Hembrough | http://www.gscc.org/

“We have been diligently working with EmberClear to bring this project to our community,” GSCC President and CEO Chris Hembrough said. “We were in competition with other communities for this project and through the collective efforts of our community we were able to land the backing of Siemens, a global powerhouse in the energy sector. This announcement sends a strong message that Springfield and Sangamon County are open for business.”