ReEnergy to Reopen Ashland Facility

By:  David Deschesne

Fort Fairfield Journal, October 2, 2014

photo & video/David Deschesne

ReEnergy recently held a grand opening ceremony at their Ashland location.  The 39 megawatt power plant will generate renewable energy from responsibly harvested green forest residue biomass.  It's capable of producing approximately 284,000 Megawatt Hours of electricity each year, or enough to supply 37,000 homes. 

The Ashland facility, which has been idle since March, 2011, is preparing to resume operations later this Fall.  "This site has been a beehive of activity in recent weeks.  We've been hiring new employees, preparing the equipment, and accepting fuel deliveries," said Facility Manager, Mark Thibodeau.  "Few states are as strong as Maine in terms of use of biomass to create electricity and heat.  In Maine we have common sense.  It makes sense to use our indigenous natural resources responsibly and sustainably wherever we can instead of using imported fossil fuels." 

In the biomass sector, Maine creates local, rural employment - about five jobs per megawatt, or 1,300 jobs here in Maine when these types of plants are fully operational.  "We are often the largest local taxpayer in small towns.  We make use of abundant local fuel supply and we generate more than 300 megawatts of base-loaded, sustainable, affordable renewable energy and we generally generate economic impact of ten to twenty million dollars at each facility." 

The restart of Ashland has been made possible through the collaboration of support of key stakeholders, most notably the State of Maine.   "We could not have done this without the ongoing friendship and support of government and community leaders here in Maine including town manager, Ralph Dwyer and other Ashland officials; regional organizations such as Northern Maine Regional Economic Development Council; the Aroostook Partnership for Progress and the Chamber of Commerce.  Partners like Dana Connors from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Patrick Strout from the Maine Forest Products Council, our friends from Emera Maine, New Brunswick Power and the University of Maine at Presque Isle." 

Governor Paul LePage and Senator Angus King were the keynote speakers at the ReEnergy Ashland opening ceremony.  Each spoke of the critical nature of the energy producing infrastructure in both its ability to provide jobs to the community as well as utilize a source of renewable energy that is found in Maine, thus reducing our need for importing energy from elsewhere. (to view video of these two speeches, click on Flash Video, above)

Thibodeau says the Ashland facility will employ 25 at the plant but will support many more jobs in the community; many of them are logging jobs.  "This is a very exciting day and we will be thrilled to be back in business later this Fall."

For an MP3 audio file of the Grand Opening ceremony speeches, click here