ReEnergy Sterling

The ReEnergy Sterling Facility, located in the Sterling Industrial Park in Sterling, CT, uses discarded tires and biomass material to produce an average of 200,000 MWh of electricity per year, enough to supply nearly 30,000 homes. The renewable electricity it produces conserves approximately 480,000 barrels of oil a year.  The facility serves as an important resource for the disposal of regional storm debris.

Since ReEnergy Holdings acquired the facility in January 2011, it has invested significantly in the facility to improve its efficiency and environmental performance. As a result of that investment, the facility is now capable of co-firing woody biomass material, and biomass has become a significant amount of its fuel stream. In Fall 2012, the Sterling facility became the first utility-scale power plant in Connecticut to generate Class I Renewable Energy Credits from biomass materials.

Our facility is the only large-scale end-use market for scrap tires in southern New England, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.

The 30 MW facility uses heat from the burned material to create steam that drives a turbine to produce the electricity. The green power is sent along an 8.5-mile underground cable system for final sale into the region’s electricity market.

The plant began commercial operation in 1991, and in the past 20 years has kept approximately 200 million tires out of regional landfills. ReEnergy purchased the plant in January 2011 and has invested significantly in the 20-year-old facility to improve its efficiency and environmental performance.

The facility is an important corporate citizen in the region, as it provides direct jobs, indirect jobs associated with the use of the fuel supply, and additional jobs tied to local goods and services related to the facility.