FutureGen: The Case for Environmentally-Friendly Coal

Author
Hinckley, Jennifer E.
Region
North America
Topic
Strategy & General Management
Length
10 pages
Keywords
joint venture
investors
Communication
Message
environmentally-friendly
Copyright Holder
Notre Dame
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students

The FutureGen Alliance was formed to develop an environmentally-friendly coal plant as a joint venture with the Department of Energy. As costs rose, the Department of Energy decided to withdraw participation from the FutureGen project. This withdrawal happened quickly and without prior knowledge from the FutureGen Alliance. The DOE also withheld the official “Record of Decision,” which would have allowed FutureGen to begin construction. In the end, what message should FutureGen CEO Michael Mudd take back to his consortium of investors? 

Learning Outcomes
  1. To examine how a lack of communication between members of a joint venture can ultimately sink the project.
  2. To highlight the conflict that arises when two departments of the same company do not convey the same message to the public.
  3. To assess political methods of communication versus those of private industry.