Mixed reactions to Bio Energy’s plan to rebuild West Hopkinton power plant

Bow Editor — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:50:00 GMT

With Bio Energy’s proposed plan for a new plant on its West Hopkinton site, community members are beginning to form opinions on whether the company should be allowed to burn clean wood chips.

The company is currently shut down and involved in litigation with the town, but Bio Energy officials recently began conversations with selectmen about a new plant, but said they would only go through with the project with community approval.

“We’d back out completely if the town didn’t support the plans. Having the support from the community is very important. We’re open to other things and also open to people just saying no,” said Bio Energy LLC spokesman Mark Dell’Orfano.

Hopkinton resident Jim Loft said his opinion will ultimately come following research on what Bio Energy is proposing.

“I haven’t done all of my homework on the subject. Initially, I thought it was a good idea,” he said. “After reading a little more about it, I realized that the truckloads coming through is really a lot in that area. It doesn’t seem the traffic in that are could handle that, although I’ll still have to do some more research.”

Bio Energy’s proposal includes 40 to 50 trucks per day, compared to 30 to 35 trucks that were used for deliveries before the plant shut down in 2002.

Steve Grady’s thoughts on the plant focus mainly on the extended plans of the proposed plant.

“I would be more looking at the long-term plan for the plant. They have a short-term plan, but what about the future?” he said. “I am interested to see if they are actually interested in the community input as they say they are. People want to know if it’s a business that will be here down the road. We want someone who will deliver a healthy, long-term business.”

Resident Lynn Brofos said despite the new technology Bio Energy is proposing, she still believes there would be a pollution aspect of the plant.

“I don’t think I would want them to (open the new plant). The new plant would still cause a lot of pollution with all of the things involved,” said Brofos.

Dell’Orfano said the company would also be willing to listen to community suggestions for another business that may be able to open on the grounds of the plant, something Brofos said is promising.

“It depends on what they’d be opening, but yes, I would be receptive of a new business there,” she said. “I wish they had done it the first time around. But, yes, it is nice to see that they are willing to listen to the community.”

One reason the plant has specific interest of the town, is the potential tax revenue it could bring in. It is estimated the proposed plant would bring in between $300,000 and $1.3 million in revenues.

“I am glad to hear that the company has stated they are willing to hear the input,” said Elaine Loft, whose family lives close to the plant. “I hope others think it is just as important to give input on the issues. Seeing what kind of industry we want in town is the real question.”

Bio E asks town: rebuild or leave?

Bow Editor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:46:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Hopkinton residents will have a large say in whether Bio Energy rebuilds its West Hopkinton plant for a more environmentally friendly facility or ends its plans to operate in town.

Bio Energy LLC, owner of the plant and land on which it sits, has been trying to reopen the power plant for several years, only to face opposition from town officials, residents and environmental groups. Last year, a state Supreme Court judge upheld the Department of Environmental Services ruling to revoke the plant’s solid waste permit, but said the company could still seek to reopen by burning clean wood for fuel.

Bio Energy spokesman Mark Dell’Orfano said the company is now interested in a new approach.

Representatives from Bio Energy met recently with the Hopkinton Board of Selectmen to go over a preliminary plan for the new facility – one that would fit about the same square-footage as the existing facility, using clean woodchips for fuel that would burn cleaner and produce more energy, said Dell’Orfano. It would also have a taller boiler and potentially larger smoke stack.

The facility would have an approximate value of $60 million to $70 million, offering potential tax revenues to the town of $300,000 to $1.3 million per year, a sum that may be too steep for the company to pay.

Hopkinton Board of Selectmen chairman George Langwasser said the board has not yet given its input to Bio Energy.

“They made a proposal and wanted to know what the board thought about it. It was new for us, and we haven’t expressed an opinion on it one way or another,” said Langwasser. “We aren’t taking any position, and the town is interested in more information and soliciting information from the community.”

Bio Energy spokesman Mark Dell’Orfano said the company will only continue with the project if the Hopkinton community is accepting of it and, if not, he said Bio Energy is prepared to move out of the area.

“It’s very important to point out that the plans are in the very preliminary stages of finding out what the town wants to see,” said Dell’Orfano. “We’d back out completely if the town didn’t support the plans. Having the support from the community is very important. We’re open to other things and also open to people just saying ‘no.’”

John Friberg, vice president of REACH – Residents Environmental Action Committee for Health – said his group will be unable to support the proposed plan.

“We’re not against the technology of what they’re proposing, but when you look at a project like this you can’t just look at the technology, you look at the big picture,” said Friberg. “You look at the totality of this, and we say that there are so many cons against it that we just can’t support it.”

According to Dell’Orfano, the new facility would be in compliance with the recently enacted New Hampshire Renewable Portfolio Standard for emissions, and also address Gov. John Lynch’s goal for New Hampshire to have 25 percent renewable energy by 2025.

“We still see renewable energy as part of Hopkinton’s future, although we are open to new ideas,” said Dell’Orfano. “Those ideas have to be solid business ideas. If people come to us with another use (for the property), we’d be willing to listen.” Dell’Orfano said the company is also open to using the land for another type of business if that is what residents are interested in.

For the time being, the proposed facility would be a 30- to 34-megawatt electric generation facility that would be completely be fueled by wood chips, which would come from forestry operations in New Hampshire, although some may be sourced from out of state.

The facility would require about 300,000 to 360,000 tons of wood chips per year, delivered to the plant by 40 to 50 trucks per day. The current 12-megawatt facility, which used about 30 to 35 trucks per day, would be mostly demolished.

If opened, XGenesys, the proposed project’s development company owned by William Dell’Orfano, would hire an independent partner to run the dayto- day operations of the facility. Langwasser said the ultimate decision will likely come from the residents.

“My personal observation is that five people on the board should not make this decision. This should be a town decision. In order to arrive at a course of action, we need to get the input of the town, the people who pay the taxes, and find out what their desires are,” said Langwasser. “Do they want us to agree that it’s a good project, or say ‘no,’ we don’t think the town should get involved.”

Friberg said he believes a good first step would be for Bio Energy to drop its claim against the town, saying it would be a “gesture of good faith to do that.”

“It’s been such a long road, with so many issues of federal, state and local legal issues. It’s been, unfortunately, quite contentious. I’m cautiously optimistic by hearing a different message that they’re willing to listen and willing to work with the community,” said Friberg. “I don’t know where things will go from here, but I hope Bio Energy is true to their word and works with the community.”

Hopkinton News : Bio Energy

Mixed reactions to Bio Energy’s plan to rebuild West Hopkinton power plant

Bio E asks town: rebuild or leave?