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APP explores natural gas option for County business and industry
CARIBOU - The Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) has focused much of its attention recently on biomass as an energy alternative, but in keeping with its mission of job creation and retention, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) options are also being explored.
This summer Bob Dorsey, president of APP, has scheduled informational meetings for officials with hospitals and large industries to learn about CNG and LNG, which are currently much less expensive than traditional oil heat. Those meetings were organized after the APP board of directors asked Dorsey to research all alternative energy sources - biomass, CNG/LNG, hybrid heat pumps, solar and others.
"We are looking into CNG and LNG as a neutral third party," said Dorsey. "We formed a working group to answer the many questions associated with CNG/LNG."
As for why APP is involved in facilitating the alternative energy discussion, the reasons are simple according to Dorsey.
"If we can help companies go from the red to the black that's business retention," he said. "If we can help a local company expand their market then that is job creation. It's a win-win for everybody."
Currently natural gas prices for commercial and industrial use are more than 50 percent less expensive than #2 fuel oil costs, but that does not take into account the infrastructure cost for conversion.
Dorsey did stress however, APP is just a facilitator in the issue and has no motive in advancing the conversation other than to promote savings for business and industry in Aroostook County.
At the working group's most recent meeting Paul Aubrey, president of Self-Gen Inc, an energy solutions and services company, said, "Energy is a hot topic right now, but also a complex topic."
Dorsey would certainly agree. In the past few months he has spent hours on the telephone talking to the key players, traveled to St. John, New Brunswick to speak with a CNG provider, worked with the state officials on permitting issues (of which some still need to be resolved when it comes to CNG), scheduled meetings with suppliers and most importantly kept an open mind to the possibilities.
Throughout the process, the working group has been kept in the loop and is fast becoming more knowledgeable in CNG/LNG.
John Kerry, the former director of the Governor's Office on Energy, also attended the last meeting.
"This group is in the top 1 percent in the state in the knowledge of natural gas," he said.
Kerry added more education is needed for everyone, and that's why Dorsey has scheduled additional sessions with providers and other experts to answer questions, especially the big one. How much is it going to cost to convert from foreign oil and how much can we save?
Dorsey said this is just the beginning of the process, but there is a goal in mind and as for how he will measure success.
"If a large hospital says in a few years we have saved $500,000 a year in energy costs by doing biomass or natural gas it's huge," Dorsey said. "Maybe then they can hire more doctors, employees or recapitalize - that would be great."
Dorsey added economic development can come in a variety of ways and it is all about seizing opportunities.
"It's laborious, time consuming, it's painstaking and detail management, but at the end of the day if we make progress and money is saved and money stays here in the state of Maine then we were successful," he said.
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