Rome - The New York State Public Service Commission has approved up to $35 million to build a renewable power plant in Rome.
The plant will provide lower-priced electricity and steam service to tenants in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, where the plant will be located.
The proposed facility will produce 9.6 megawatts of renewable-fueled electricity and steam generation. It will be fueled by biomass, and is expected to supply about 75% of all the park’s electricity needs. The remaining 25% of the park’s electric needs will continue to come from National Grid. The plant would also replace the existing steam boilers.
The power plant’s operator, Griffiss Utility Services Corporation, is a not-for-profit corporation formed by Griffiss Local Development Corporation, the operator of the business park. That park is a 3,500-acre complex containing approximately 80 buildings and 29 miles of road, formerly operated as an Air Force Base. They say the new facility will enable it to reduce the cost of providing electric and steam service to customers by approximately $1.5 million per year.
Because the proposed plant will use biomass as its primary fuel source, the facility will reduce carbon dioxide emissions at the park by approximately 46,000 tons per year. The corporation says that reduction is equivalent to taking more than 7,500 passenger vehicles off the road. They also expect it to annually spend $3.5 million on the nearby forestry industry.
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