Biomass Plant Supports New Hampshire's RPS Goal of 25 x 25

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Laidlaw Berlin BioPower LLC, Berlin, N.H. USA, an affiliate of Laidlaw Energy Group, reported this week that it has reached an agreement for Public Service of New Hampshire to purchase the energy from its proposed wood-fired power generation facility planned for New Hampshire's North Country. When operational, the 70 MW biomass facility in Berlin will be the largest wood-burning power plant in the state, and will move New Hampshire closer to its goal of 25% renewable energy by the year 2025. The agreement between PSNH and Laidlaw runs for 20 years.

When operational, the plant will consume wood chips that are byproducts of the local forest products industry and land management practices. "One of our key development strategies is to have Coös County become the renewable energy capital of Northern New England," said Max Makaitis, Economic Development Director, Androscoggin Valley Economic Recovery Corp. (AVER). "We are particularly excited about biomass projects like Laidlaw's, because they help create jobs, not only at the plant itself, but also in the forest, and in those services that support our foresters."

As a generation source that utilizes biomass, the Laidlaw plant will produce not only energy, but also renewable energy certificates (RECs), which all providers of electricity in New Hampshire must obtain in order to comply with the state's renewable energy law. PSNH's agreement with Laidlaw calls for the utility to purchase the energy, the generating capacity, and the RECs produced by the biomass plant.