Fort Drum’s electrical energy supply in peril of closing

FORT DRUM, New York (WWNY) – A battle is underway to ensure Fort Drum’s supply of electrical energy stays intact regardless of a state legislation that might pull the plug.

Contained in the gates of Fort Drum sits a $50 million 60-megawatt biomass facility.

Secured by way of a contract with the Division of Protection, ReEnergy Black River supplies 100% of Fort Drum’s electrical energy. That’s a rarity for a lot of army installations.

“Fort Drum is absolutely on the forefront of that initiative with this facility being contained in the fence,” mentioned Larry Richardson, CEO, ReEnergy.

Not solely that, the corporate brings in round $25 million to the north nation’s economic system. It buys gasoline materials, wooden chips, from native lumber yards and sawmills.

That would all change due to a state legislation handed three years in the past.

“For the primary time, they outlined in statute what renewable power assets have been, and they didn’t embrace any type of bioenergy,” mentioned Sarah Boggess, vice chairman of exterior affairs, ReEnergy.

New laws within the state Meeting and Senate would enable for the continued operation of the plant by way of its current contract till November 2034. If the invoice passes, the plant could be the one remaining utility-scale biomass facility in New York state.

Together with just a few Democrats, state Senator Patty Ritchie and Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush are sponsoring the invoice.

Blankenbush says, “I imagine the bioenergy produced at this facility ought to fall beneath the renewable energies umbrella…Grid reliability and effectiveness must proceed to be our high focus.”

And Ritchie says, “Guaranteeing this biomass facility contained in the gates of Fort Drum stays viable is important…Within the remaining months of session, I’ll proceed to advocate for its passage.”

If the laws doesn’t go, ReEnergy could be compelled to close down the ability subsequent yr. Which means Fort Drum would depend on transmission traces coming onto the put up from outdoors the gates, which might be topic to bodily harm and cyberattacks.

The proposed laws is now with the Meeting and Senate power committees.

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