Forest industry voices support for biomass aid bill
Representatives of the state’s forest industry voiced their support on Wednesday for a bill introduced by Assistant House Majority Leader Sara Gideon on Wednesday looking to aid Maine’s struggling biomass industry.
The bill, LD 1693, would establish “a process for stakeholders in the forest products industry and energy sector, representatives from relevant state agencies, lawmakers and a University of Maine scientist to identify solutions to the growing challenges biomass is facing.”
“This is the right time to create a commission to study how Maine utilizes biomass, how beneficial it is for our forests, our people, our economy and our environment. This is our opportunity to create new markets and create our own plan for the use of homegrown energy,” Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, said at the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee hearing. “Biomass energy, more than any other energy source, keeps almost 100% of its benefits in the state.”
According the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, the biomass industry directly employs close to 150 Mainers in addition to providing an additional 900 indirect jobs. It accounts for a 25% of the power supply in Maine.
As reported by Mainebiz on April 4, the recent closure in March of Covanta Energy's biomass power plants in West Enfield and Jonesboro resulted in the loss of 44 jobs at those facilities.
ReEnergy Holdings, which runs the state's four remaining biomass plants in Livermore Falls, Stratton, Ashland and Fort Fairfield, faces an uncertain future due to a phasing out of Connecticut's renewable energy credits that could begin in 2018.
“I live in a town that is the crossroads for the forest products industry,” House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe, D-Skowhegan, said at the hearing. “We need a vision and leaders who will be creative in seeing to it that our traditional industry grows and does not disappear. Establishing a commission to create and maintain a sustainable future for the Maine biomass industry will benefit our economy and help protect jobs.”
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