Yesterday, it was announced that Charlotte, N.C.-based Rollcast Energy will establish Loblolly Green Power on Highway 34 just outside of Newberry on the Bush River next to the City of Newberry's Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The company will put a $170 million investment into the plant and should generate 27 new jobs by late 2011. An estimated additional 200 jobs could be generated as a result of contractor services and construction. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2009 and the plant is scheduled for energy production by 2011.
For the first four years, the new industry will pay almost $777,000 in taxes, with a jump to $1.3 million after four years.
The $1.3 million in tax revenue equals about 10 county tax mills today, which would save the owner of a $100,000 home about $40 a year, according to County Administrator Wayne Adams.
The plant will purchase “gray water“ along with some potable water from the city.
The water purchase from the City of Newberry is expected to increase the utility's revenue by $400,000 a year, according to City Manager Eric Budds.
Santee Cooper will purchase 50 megawatts of renewable power from the biomass facility on a constantly streaming basis-enough power to supply 25,000 homes.
Rollcast also signed an agreement yesterday to sell the power to Santee Cooper.
Loblolly Green Power will be the first such facility in South Carolina.
“Our goal is to produce sustainable, green power for South Carolina using the local resource of woody biomass,” said Penn Cox, president of Rollcast Energy. “This area of the state offers very skilled forestry management, forestry operations and recycling companies and we are excited to play a role in the sustainable growth of these industries.”
The energy facility will use woody biomass, or wood left over timber cutting, to produce the power.
Cox said the plant would use 500,000 tons of useless woods and agricultural materials a year. The wood material would come from unused bark and tops of pine trees, mill residue, land clearing waste and agricultural materials such as crop waste and poultry bedding. The company converts the biomass to power by burning it.
“It is a beautiful day and a sunny day in Newberry County and Newberry County is far away from Wall Street,“ said Central SC Alliance President and CEO Mike Briggs. “This is a win-win, win-win project.“
Newberry County's investments in economic development continue to return benefits to our citizens,“ commented County Council Chairman Henry Summer. “Today's announcement will bring a substantial capital investment and good paying jobs to the community. We welcome Loblolly Green Power to Newberry County and look forward to supporting their success.“
County Councilman John David Dawkins said this is the biggest single industrial announcement in the county's history.
Biomass is the oldest form of renewable energy and provides a cost-competitive alternative to fossil fuel-fired plants. Other benefits include: reduced emissions, increased energy security and reduced waste as biomass currently buried in landfills can be recycled to generate electricity.
The use of the currently undesirable by-products will benefit land owners, loggers and lumber mills, said State Forester Tim Adams. He added it will reduce clean-up cost for timber landowners.
Adams said it will also make practices such as thinning forests profitable instead of costly.
Not only will the waste material have value, but the facility will keep these materials out of landfills.
Santee Cooper provides power to the electric co-ops, which means some of the locally generated power will return to Newberry County.
Most of the power provided by the Piedmont Municipal Power Association to the City of Newberry is nuclear power.
Rollcast Energy develops, owns and operates renewable energy power plants that use wood or biomass for fuel. The company provides customers with low-cost, environmentally benign electricity that helps reduce the nation's dependence on imported energy and provides sustainable jobs in local communities.
The company has similar facilities in Georgia and North Carolina.
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