Mills Administration Announces Six Community Projects Selected for Redevelopment Assistance

Projects will receive technical assistance from the state to advance the redevelopment of industrial sites that will drive economic development and help meet state climate and clean energy goals.

October 22, 2024

Augusta, MAINE - The Mills Administration today announced six communities in Maine will receive technical assistance from the state to support locally-determined revitalization projects at current and former industrial sites to create good-paying jobs, drive local economic development, and meet state climate and clean energy goals.

The communities of Auburn, Bucksport, Lincoln, Millinocket, Wiscasset and Yarmouth have been selected by the Governor's Energy Office and the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development to participate in the state's Maine Community Energy Redevelopment Program(MECERP), funded through the Governor's Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan. The program will provide technical assistance to help revitalize former mill sites, power stations, and other facilities with available or excess electrical capacity.

"As Maine's clean energy economy continues to grow, legacy sites with underutilized electrical infrastructure have an opportunity to capitalize on the transition through redevelopment," said Dan Burgess, Director of the Maine Governor's Energy Office. "Through MECERP, Maine communities will receive expert guidance and technical assistance as they work to revitalize these iconic sites to create high quality jobs and drive economic development in their regions."

"Rural revitalization is a critical component of a strong Maine economy," said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. "The MECERP program will help these communities leverage the infrastructure that currently exists to support ongoing redevelopment, target reduced energy costs, and attract new businesses in Maine's growing economic landscape."

The following communities have been selected to participate in the first round of the MECERP program:

• The City of Auburn seeks to catalyze business attraction and industrial growth by creating a cohesive development vision for the land assets in or near the Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub Overlay. The Tech Overlay was created by the city to align commercial and industrial development with Maine's state-level Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hubdesignation by the Biden-Harris Administration.
• The Town of Bucksportis conducting economic development planning for underutilized industrial land alongside the Penobscot River near downtown Bucksport. The project will focus on areas surrounding the existing thermal power station and transition to clean energy technologies, in partnership with power station owner JERA Americas.
• The Town of Lincolnis developing a business plan to attract additional industrial anchor tenants to the growing Lincoln Technology Park, a 387-acre site formerly known as the Lincoln Paper and Tissue mill. The U.S. Department of Energy recently awarded Maine a $147 million grantto deploy an 85 MW long duration energy storage system at one site within the park.
• One North is working to redevelop a 1,400-acre site, the third largest industrial site in Maine, formerly occupied by the Great Northern Paper Company, in Millinocket. The site's unique energy generation capacity positions it to offer affordable power to industrial users and catalyze new economic activity in the Katahdin region.
• The Town of Wiscassetis conducting economic development planning for two large waterfront sites: the 33-acre Birch Point Peninsula, best known for the decommissioned Mason Station site, and the 297-acre parcel along Old Ferry Road across the road from the decommissioned Maine Yankee Nuclear Plant.
• The Town of Yarmouthis assessing the feasibility and potential impact of alternative future uses for Wyman Station, an aging oil-fired power plant on Cousins Island that currently runs a few days a year during periods of high demand.

"Wiscasset is thrilled to receive technical assistance through MECERP to help us initiate a critical planning exercise for all the underutilized energy assets and land in the Mason Station and the Maine Yankee Nuclear Plant corridor," said Aaron Chrostowsky, Economic Development Director for the Town of Wiscasset. "We envision a mix of different economic and community development uses for the sites, to be determined through a robust stakeholder and community engagement process."

"With support from MECERP, the Town of Lincoln will refine and advance its development plan for the Lincoln Technology Park," said Ruth Birtz, Economic Development Administrator for the Town of Lincoln. "The technical assistance we receive through the program will complement ongoing efforts to redevelop the site, including the recent investment of nearly $150 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to support an innovative energy storage facility in the park."

MECERP is designed to foster economic development across Maine by providing high-quality technical assistance to projects identified by communities that leverage underutilized energy assets or excess electrical grid capacity to unlock new economic activity and create family-sustaining jobs while reducing carbon emissions. Together, the six projects will bring new economic activity that aligns with the state's growing industries, including clean energy, forest products, life sciences, agriculture, aquaculture, and outdoor recreation.

The program launched earlier this year with a community survey and information-gathering process that allowed communities to nominate priority projects which led to identification of the current list of participating communities. Through early 2025, each community will receive technical assistance from the state's consultant, HR&A Advisors, a national economic development and public policy consulting firm.

MECERP does not provide funding for project implementation. The technical assistance provided is meant to maximize the likelihood of each community securing significant local, state, and federal funding for their projects.

The state may approve a limited number of additional communities to participate in MECERP in the future. To learn more about MECERP goals and objectives, please visit the program webpage.

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