ReEnergy Ashland

ReEnergy Ashland, located near Presque Isle in Ashland, ME, (Aroostook County), uses biomass as its primary fuel to produce 284,000 net MWh of electricity each year — enough to supply about 37,000 homes. At ReEnergy Ashland, the steam that is produced is used to generate electricity, which is sold directly to customers such as utilities, energy services companies, and municipal electrical co-ops.

The 39 MW facility, which opened in 1993, was acquired by ReEnergy in December 2011. ReEnergy Ashland is an important corporate citizen in Aroostook County, as it provides direct jobs at the facility, indirect jobs associated with the use of the forest residue fuel supply, and additional jobs tied to local goods and services related to the facility.

ReEnergy Ashland, like the other biomass-to-energy generation facilities in Maine and New York owned by ReEnergy, provides sustainable electricity from responsibly harvested green forest residue biomass, and unadulterated wood. This material otherwise would have been left to decompose on forest floors or in urban lots and in either case resulting in the production of harmful methane gases. In addition to the environmental benefits associated with biomass-to-energy, these facilities are very reasonably priced forms of renewable baseload energy.