(Wood fuel) Pellet maker to locate in Athens (Maine)

[jpak]

http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/statewide.aspx?articleid=142400&zoneid=500

ATHENS - Capitalizing on the popularity of alternative fuels because of rising oil prices and Maine’s desire to establish a home-grown, sustainable form of energy, a new company announced Friday that it will locate a wood pellet manufacturing company in Athens, the first such facility in the state.

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The plant will be located on the former Gorbell biomass power plant site, which is owned by the Linkletters, and which was contemplated as the site for a biomass incinerator project.

Richard Linkletter said Friday that the controversial incinerator project had been proposed by GenPower LLC, a Massachusetts-based firm. "They had a two-year lease on the property," Linkletter said. "We chose not to renew the lease."

That will come as welcome news to some Athens residents and others who have vehemently opposed the $80 million incinerator project. GenPower had planned to burn demolition debris to create electricity. Nearly half of the debris would have been trucked to Maine from out of state.

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[MADem]

1. Good on many levels, it will bring a few jobs to the western part of the state as well NT