ReEnergy Ashland

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ReEnergy Ashland, located near Presque Isle in Ashland, ME (Aroostook County), uses biomass as its primary fuel to produce 284,000 net megawatt-hours of electricity each year — enough to supply about 37,000 homes. At ReEnergy Ashland, the steam that is produced is used to generate electricity, which is sold directly to customers such as utilities, energy services companies, and municipal electrical co-ops.

The 39 megawatt facility, which opened in 1993, was acquired by ReEnergy in December 2011. ReEnergy Ashland is an important corporate citizen in Aroostook County, as it provides direct jobs at the facility, indirect jobs associated with the fuel supply, and additional jobs tied to local goods and services related to the facility.

ReEnergy Ashland provides electricity from sustainably harvested forest residue material and mill residue known as biomass. This forest material otherwise would be landfilled and/or left to decompose on forest floors or in urban lots, resulting in the production of methane, a greenhouse gas. Biomass power facilities enhance forest health, mitigate climate change, support jobs in the forest products industry, contribute to fuel diversity, and represent reasonably priced forms of renewable baseload energy.

ReEnergy Ashland has achieved certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Standard, which verifies that the facility’s biomass procurement program promotes land stewardship and responsible forestry practices