Fort Fairfield residents
again approve wood chip boiler plan
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
FORT FAIRFIELD — Despite a much lower voter turnout, the results were still the same. Residents in Fort Fairfield have again given SAD 20 officials the go-ahead to proceed with the construction of a central wood biomass heating plant.
Due to a technical oversight on the part of the district, residents had to re-vote Jan. 19 on the wood chip boiler plan which would offset at least 95 percent of the 41,696 gallons of heating oil used annually at local schools.
The vote was 35 “Yes” to 19 “No.”
“It’s close to a two-thirds majority as it was the first time,” said SAD 20 Superintendent Marc Gendron.
When residents voted last November, the numbers were much higher — 556 “Yes” to 259 “No.”
“In November, the referendum was part of a broader, general election and there were other things on the ballot,” said Gendron. “This time it was the only thing being voted on and we had four hours of balloting.
“The project is 100 percent back on track,” he said, noting that the boiler has already been ordered. “It should arrive within 90 days. Our next step will be putting in the foundation and erecting the building which will house the boiler. We’re not sure exactly when we’ll be able to start the work; a lot of it depends on the weather, but we’re still looking for a completion date before the end of the 2011-12 school year. That’s our target.”
The total financed amount for the $1,821,142 project will be $1,321,142.
“The project will be self-funding which means that the guaranteed energy savings will pay for the debt service over the financing period for the project,” said Gendron. “No local capital will need to be raised to support the project; local taxes will not be increased to fund this.”
Gendron said he recently found out the district has received $1.3 million QSCAB financing, which is a government program that he said “will allow us to have 0-percent interest on the project.”
The plant — combined with several small efficiency improvements in both the middle/high and elementary schools, which include new domestic hot water heating systems and variable frequency drives (VFDs) on pumps — will save $98,740 in energy costs in the first year of operation based on predicted and historical energy costs.
“The wood chip fired boiler is being installed by local Aroostook County contractors and is expected to provide local jobs both during the construction phase and long-term jobs in the wood products industry for the 30-year anticipated life of the plant,” said Gendron.
Though located at Fort Fairfield Middle/Senior High School, the district’s elementary school will also benefit from the project.
Gendron said the district is currently spending between $135,000 and $150,000 for oil.
