BIOMASS PLANT TO REDUCE COLBY COLLEGE'S DEPENDENCE ON OIL

WATERVILLE, MAINE — ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge has completed the design of the new $11 million biomass plant at Colby College in Waterville. The new 13,000-square-foot facility is expected to reduce the college's dependence on oil by 90 percent. The plant will burn forest waste and debris — treetops and bark that cannot be used by other pulp operations — instead of oil. Colby received a $750,000 grant from Efficiency Maine to assist with the project. The new power plant will provide thermal and partial electrical service to 30 campus buildings. The cost savings of switching to biomass is expected to pay for the building in six to 10 years.