Biomass Plants to Boost Rural Georgia

A power company that serves four million Georgians is investing in renewable energy by building two biomass plants in the state. For two rural communities in south Georgia, it's a boost to the

Oglethorpe Power plans to build biomass plants in Appling and Warren Counties. The company hopes to break ground by 2011 pending state permits. Officials estimate it will create 250 temporary construction jobs at each site.

Once built, each plant would be fueled by wood and employ about 40 people. It would have a ripple effect on the local economy, says Dale Atkins with the Appling County Development Authority. "It's going to have a tremendous impact on our forest industry. Timber land is 70 percent in the county... this will create 500 jobs in the forest industry."

These counties were chosen in part because they are wood baskets. Company officials say the plants should come on line by 2015, and they're considering a third site in Echols County..

Biomass Plant May Come to Eastern Georgia

A power corporation says its closer to pursuing construction of a biomass power plant in eastern Georgia.

Oglethorpe Power says it's buying property in Warren County for a proposed biomass plant. The $400 million plant would use wood chips, chipped pulpwood and wood from sawmills and timber clearings. Timber is a plentiful resource in Georgia.

The plant would power up to 60,000 homes.

"We're very excited to be able to seriously move toward putting renewable energy into the ground and generating some power for the state of Georgia in the process," says Greg Jones, a spokesman for Oglethorpe Power.

The corporation hopes to build a total of two or three plants in Georgia, each with about 40 jobs. The plants would generate hundreds of secondary jobs, says Jones.

Oglethorpe Power hopes the plants will go online in 2014 and 2015, pending approval from government agencies.

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