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ReEnergy Celebrates National Biomass Energy Day
Recognizes Aroostook Delegation for their Ongoing Support
By: David Deschesne
Fort Fairfield Journal, October 26, 2016
ASHLAND, Maine—ReEnergy celebrated National Biomass Energy day at their Ashland facility on Wednesday, October 19. National Biomass Energy Day was celebrated at twenty eight locations in the United States and Canada.
The biomass sector in Maine creates local, rural employment and generates tax revenue for rural towns. The two towns in Maine - Fort Fairfield and Ashland - spend $45 million per year, a lot of that's local to the County. They also serve as an important end market for forest and mill residues. Almost 80 percent of the fuel at the Ashland facility is mill residue.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the benefits of biomass. Few states are strong in terms of biomass to create electricity as Maine is,” said Scott Folnsbee, Facility Manager, ReEnergy, Fort Fairfield. “We have common sense. It makes sense to use our indigenous natural resources responsibly and sustainably whenever we can.”
Folnsbee describes the Ashland power plant as a 39 megawatt facility that generates renewable energy from responsibly harvested green forest residue biomass. “It's capable of producing 284,000 megawatt hours a year which is enough to supply 37,000 homes.” He also emphasized the importance of the plant to the local economy, “The Ashland and Fort Fairfield biomass plants provide base loaded, renewable power and supports almost 50 good paying, direct jobs at these facilities and more than 300 estimated indirect jobs, many of those jobs are in the fuel chain supply which is logging, and in the mills. We employ 21 people here at the plant but we also support many more jobs in the community, many of them logging and mill jobs which also include suppliers, contractors, electrical contractors, equipment sales.”
During their ceremony, ReEnergy officials recognized the effort the Maine legislature put forth last Spring to support the biomass industry in Maine. “We would not be operating without the ongoing friendship from the government and community leaders in Northern Maine. We felt it important to recognize the entire Aroostook County delegation because the entire delegation voted yes on legislation last Spring that created an important lifeline for the biomass sector and all of the businesses that rely on that sector,” said Folnsbee.
The legislation was LD 1676 An Act to Establish a Process to Procurement of Biomass Resources and LD 1693 which created a commission to study the economic, environmental and energy benefits of the biomass industry here in Maine.
“We are so grateful to the entire delegation for recognizing the importance of biomass industry and providing this opportunity for us.”
The catered event featured an afternoon lunch and tours of the Ashland facility.