SACO — Plans for Saco’s participation in a proposal to convert the fuel processing platform for pellet burning at the Maine Energy Recovery Company in Biddeford have been put to a halt.
The Saco City Council voted Monday night to withdraw an application for a $2 million state grant submitted in December 2009, which would have covered about half of the cost to retrofit the Maine Energy plant for the proposed pellet burning functions.
Mayor Roland “Ron” Michaud said the grant had been submitted on “a post-haste basis.”
“I really had some severe concerns about it to begin with,” said Michaud.
The city also voted to join forces with Biddeford in an ad hoc committee that will be charged with developing a strategy to deal with the Maine Energy Recovery Company, located in downtown Biddeford.
In January, Biddeford Mayor Joanne Twomey announced she was leaving the task force appointed by Gov. John Baldacci that was initially charged with creating an exit strategy for Maine Energy.
Instead, the solution the group had been working on since May of last year revolved around moving the front end processing from Biddeford to Westbrook. The trash would be formed into pellets to be burned at Maine Energy and used to create energy that would be sold at reduced rates to Biddeford residents and other communities that would form the so-called Maine Green Energy Alliance.
Michaud said the goal of the task force had changed over time.
“It was a good effort, I think we did a great job, I just think it didn’t quite work out as we had hoped in this,” said Michaud.
Last week, the Biddeford City Council voted to form an ad hoc committee with members appointed by the mayors of both Biddeford and Saco.
Although Saco no longer sends its waste to Maine Energy, it is still a host community of the facility, which borders the city.
“I am very happy,” said Twomey, regarding the news that Saco joined the committee. She said she will also be getting in touch with Westbrook.
Twomey said the committee will hold meetings that are open to the public and the main goal of the committee will be to be to close the Maine Energy facility.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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