Fair Haven
posted
Mar 7, 2013
Hundreds of jobs will be created for
Vermonters
Rutland County will become home to a renewable energy-powered,
year-round local food growing and wholesale 'Grower's Hub' under an
agreement announced by Beaver Wood Energy and Vermont Hydroponics
recently. The plan promises to add 300 new jobs to the area - 25
jobs at the biomass power plant, 25 jobs at the pellet
manufacturing facility, 100 jobs at the greenhouses and Grower's
Hub and another 150 jobs in the forest industry.
Under the plan, Vermont Hydroponics, headquartered in Florence,
Vt., will build a 10-acre greenhouse complex adjacent to the
proposed Fair Haven Biomass Energy Center. Using
low-grade steam, waste heat and waste water from the biomass power
plant, Vermont Hydroponics plans to grow tomatoes and other
vegetables year-round.
"Our current Vermont business is ready to grow, to takeoff
really," said Middlebury resident and managing partner of Vermont
Hydroponics Jeff Jones. "By partnering with a renewable energy
facility, we can turn low grade heat, which has little usefulness
to the power or pellet manufacturing facility into our affordable
energy. This is a great chance to grow our closed-loop, completely
sustainable and renewable local food model," he added.
Vermont Hydroponics will also site an expansion of their Growers
Hub service at the Energy Center. Grower's Hub is the
company's innovative, high-tech system that brokers the sale and
transfer of locally grown food from smaller, independent growers to
buyers from large grocery stores all over the North East.
Supermarket chain, 'Price Chopper', is a current Grower's Hub
customer.
"The Fair Haven Biomass Energy Center will be one of the most
efficient and innovative facilities in the nation," says Tom Emero
from Beaver Wood Energy. "We are proud to announce formal plans to
bring together into one sustainable business system local energy,
local heat, and local food. It is truly a remarkable opportunity
that promises good paying jobs to hundreds of people," he
added.
The proposed Fair Haven Biomass Energy Center now
includes:
Clean Energy Production: A state-of-the art 30MW biomass
power converting sustainably harvested local waste wood into enough
locally produced, base-load power for 34,000 homes.
Wood Pellet Production: A wood-pellet manufacturing business that
recycles thermal energy from the power plant to make enough clean
pellets to heat 27,000 homes.
Greenhouse Farm and Grower's Hub: A 10-acre greenhouse complex
allowing a major business expansion for Vermont Hydroponic's.
"This is a huge economic development opportunity for our town
and our region. We need the good-paying, green economy jobs
promised by the Fair Haven Energy Center," said Claire Stanley. "We
now look to our state for their leadership in making this big
opportunity happen."
