News
Biopower = jobs, energy in Hamilton County
By Bill CotterellJASPER, Fla. — Building a giant biopower plant in Hamilton County will generate the two things rural North Florida needs most — jobs and clean energy — executives of a new power consortium told county officials today.
ADAGE, a joint venture between Duke Energy and the global power firm AREVA, plans to start construction of the plant near Interstate 75 and State Road 6 in the spring.
At the peak of construction, in mid 2011, contractors will have about 500 workers at the site and, although regular operation of the power plant will take only 24 fulltime employees, the project is expected to generate hundreds of jobs in forestry, trucking and related trades.
“This will be great for the county and it will put a little more market pressure on timber up here in North Florida,” said State Rep. Leonard Bembry, D-Madison. “Right now, timber is at about a 25- or 30-year low.”
County Commissioner Lewis Vaughn noted that PCS, a 900-employee potash plant that is the county’s largest employer, is laying off 168 workers. He said Hamilton has 9.6 percent unemployment, a bit below the statewide 11 percent average but still high.
“We need the jobs and we need the affordable energy,” said state Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, whose legislative district includes the county.
Reed Willis, president of ADAGE, and Rob Parrett, the company’s director of business development, said the plant will have a $105 million economic impact initially. They said about 100 trucks a day, each hauling 25 tons of logs, will service the plant and hundreds of jobs will be produced in clearing stumps, limbs and treetops, chips and residue, and other scraps now left on the forest floor.
Biodiesel and other energy initiatives touted as “green” have met with resistance in some areas. A plant planned in Tallahassee was recently cancelled in the face of vocal local opposition.
But Eric Draper, policy director of the Audubon Society, said the Big Bend plant was planned in an urban area where air quality would be harmed. Contacted in Tallahassee, he said the Hamilton County plant might be appropriate for the region.
“They can’t strip-mine the forests,” he said. “But clean, renewable energy is the source of the future and if they can do it in a way that doesn’t harm the forests, that would be worth pursuing.”
