The Stored Solar Co-operative Pitch for its Maine Biomass Plan by EMEP LLC and Stored Solar LLC Lyrics
Maine. Some of the world's largest paper plants, biggest companies and most expansive timber resources were grown here. Today, only a dozen mills remain.
Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and Maine's storied mill towns are economically devastated. As the industry has gone, the mills have gone. The jobs have gone. And yet, the trees remain. After a loss upon loss, Maine still draws 27 percent of its exports from wood and forest products, a $730 million dollar lifeline in the wake of a growing exodus of skilled workers and the far reaching problems of biomass lost and untold capital and revenue drained from the state.
It's a race to the bottom. Years of over-promising and under-delivering. It's time for Maine to take its destiny in its own hands.
By implementing proven systems already deployed successfully in communities throughout the U.S. and Europe. For Maine stakeholders to act in solidarity to stabilize the existing biomass market and attract investors, the model is there. And in Maine, the resources are all around us.
Before solar panels and battery storage, the forests were nature's way to store the Sun's energy. Biomass. This is stored solar energy in harmony with nature. A whole tree approach to creating renewable energy and wood-based biochemicals. First, we create a master plan for financial recovery addressing the remaining biomass-to-energy plants and closed mills. With government support, phase one will aggregate these facilities to enable capital formation to sustain their long-term development.
Phase two will integrate the right mix of proven bio-energy innovations to establish the Pine State as the world capital of bio-energy. By building bigger, farther-reaching revenue streams to revive consumption of the lost 4 to 5 million tons of biomass, making use of the whole tree, tapping into the greater value of diversified biomass products. The value created in Maine stays in Maine. Here's how.
First: Establish a co-operative equity fund to include the state, landowners and forestry and biomass plant operators. To gain control over these distressed assets and avoid their complete demolition.
Second: Determine a long-term repurposing plan for the sites to integrate the best-of-class innovations in bio-energy.
And finally: Secure financing by leveraging low-interest, long-tenure loans from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The model is there. The trees are still here.
They have been here for centuries and they're revitalized future will empower the state of Maine for generations to come.
United we stand.
This is the Stored Solar Co-operative.
Thousands of workers have lost their jobs and Maine's storied mill towns are economically devastated. As the industry has gone, the mills have gone. The jobs have gone. And yet, the trees remain. After a loss upon loss, Maine still draws 27 percent of its exports from wood and forest products, a $730 million dollar lifeline in the wake of a growing exodus of skilled workers and the far reaching problems of biomass lost and untold capital and revenue drained from the state.
It's a race to the bottom. Years of over-promising and under-delivering. It's time for Maine to take its destiny in its own hands.
By implementing proven systems already deployed successfully in communities throughout the U.S. and Europe. For Maine stakeholders to act in solidarity to stabilize the existing biomass market and attract investors, the model is there. And in Maine, the resources are all around us.
Before solar panels and battery storage, the forests were nature's way to store the Sun's energy. Biomass. This is stored solar energy in harmony with nature. A whole tree approach to creating renewable energy and wood-based biochemicals. First, we create a master plan for financial recovery addressing the remaining biomass-to-energy plants and closed mills. With government support, phase one will aggregate these facilities to enable capital formation to sustain their long-term development.
Phase two will integrate the right mix of proven bio-energy innovations to establish the Pine State as the world capital of bio-energy. By building bigger, farther-reaching revenue streams to revive consumption of the lost 4 to 5 million tons of biomass, making use of the whole tree, tapping into the greater value of diversified biomass products. The value created in Maine stays in Maine. Here's how.
First: Establish a co-operative equity fund to include the state, landowners and forestry and biomass plant operators. To gain control over these distressed assets and avoid their complete demolition.
Second: Determine a long-term repurposing plan for the sites to integrate the best-of-class innovations in bio-energy.
And finally: Secure financing by leveraging low-interest, long-tenure loans from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The model is there. The trees are still here.
They have been here for centuries and they're revitalized future will empower the state of Maine for generations to come.
United we stand.
This is the Stored Solar Co-operative.