ReEnergy Stratton
Project Overview
ReEnergy Stratton, located in the village of Stratton, ME and town of Eustis, ME in Franklin County, uses biomass as its fuel and has the capacity to produce approximately 355,000 net megawatt-hours of electricity each year — enough to supply about 46,000 homes. A portion of ReEnergy Stratton’s electricity is sold to the adjacent Stratton Lumber mill, while the balance is supplied into the regional electricity grid.
The 48 megawatt facility, which opened in 1989, was acquired by ReEnergy in December 2011. ReEnergy Stratton is an important corporate citizen in Franklin County and surrounding region, 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 Stratton is an eligible Class I resource in the Renewable Portfolio Standard programs of Maine and Connecticut.
Fast Facts
Site Location
27 Fox Farm Road, Stratton, ME 04982
Year Established
2011
Generation Capacity
48 MW
Supply Capacity
46,000 Homes
Employment
Over 20 Full-Time Plant Staff
Core Equipment
Combustion Engineering Boiler; Mitsubishi Turbine and Brush Generator Set
Co-location Opportunity
A vacant parcel located adjacent to the energy facility is available for lease or sale, and a company locating on that parcel could make use of affordable electricity and/or steam.
Energy costs for an entity locating at this site will be more competitive than market-rate energy, since electricity and steam supply from ReEnergy Stratton should result in avoided capital and maintenance costs, avoided electrical transmission and distribution costs, and the ability to enter into a long-term agreement to hedge market price risk.
ReEnergy is prepared to facilitate site access, provide operations & maintenance services, supply thermal and electric energy at below-market rates, provide liaison with state and local officials, and provide technical/commercial guidance. In limited circumstances, ReEnergy might be interested in investing in a project.
Products
ReEnergy Stratton’s wood ash, or fly ash, is being used by dozens of Maine farms. Stratton’s wood ash has met strict organic standards by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and lab tests indicate that it is rich in magnesium, soluble potash and phosphoric acid. The ash also provides significant amounts of micronutrients that are critical to crop growth and soil health. The ash from ReEnergy Stratton is 40% biochar, which is considered to be particularly strong in micronutrients and contributes to soil health and fertility. Scientific evidence is growing that biochar provides climate change benefits by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere — known as “negative emissions” — because it sequesters carbon.
Bottom ash is a heavier material that is collected at the front of the boiler. Such material is widely used as replacement materials in construction and has the potential application in road construction, concrete and cement products. ReEnergy Stratton’s bottom ash is used as a gravel substitute.
ReEnergy Stratton provides electricity from sustainably harvested forest residue material and mill residue known as biomass. This material otherwise would be landfilled and/or left to decompose on forest floors or in urban lots, resulting in the production of methane, a greenhouse gas. Biomass power facilities enhance forest health, mitigate climate change, support jobs in the forest products industry, contribute to fuel diversity, and represent a unique form of baseload renewable electricity.
Local Employment
ReEnergy Stratton employs more than 20 employees who monitor a distributed control system from a centralized control room and oversee fuel intake and processing, facility and equipment maintenance, administrative tasks and shift supervision.
System Information
The Stratton team operates a Combustion Engineering boiler and a Mitsubishi turbine and Brush generator set, in addition to two truck dumping stations, a fuel yard, a fuel conveyor belt system, a cooling tower, an ash loading building and an electrical switchyard.