ROCKLAND, Maine — The company that has proposed building a natural gas-fired power plant where City Hall is located is taking a detailed look at other possible locations in the community.
Rockland Energy Center Inc. has proposed building a $200 million, 76-megawatt combined cycle cogeneration plant that would generate electricity for the electrical grid and low-cost steam to heat local industries.
City Councilor Larry Pritchett said that a representative for Rockland Energy Center LLC said during a public forum on May 26 that such a study would be undertaken.
The other sites being studied include land in the Industrial Park as well as city land next to the transfer station. Pritchett said he does not expect to hear anything more from the company for a few months while it examines the pros and cons of the locations.
The study will look at the cost of connecting to the electrical grid from each location as well as any site issues, Pritchett said.
In early May, the Rockland City Council voted to grant the company a nonbinding option to buy about 18 acres of city land where City Hall and public services are located.
At the May 26 meeting, Rockland Energy spokesman Evan Coleman said the company had determined the City Hall location to be the best in terms of accessing natural gas and linking to the electrical grid. He said, however, the company was open to an alternative site in Rockland but questioned whether moving it a short distance would allay the concerns of some people.
The other two sites that the company had considered were at 60 Merrill Drive in the Industrial Park and the properties at 324, 328, 358 and 400 Limerock St., which are next to the solid waste facility. The Merrill Drive property consists of 30 acres, which is owned by the city. The Limerock Street land is largely owned by the city and is located by the solid waste facilities, though some of the smaller parcels are owned by private individuals.
The Industrial Park already is zoned for industrial activities such as a natural gas plant. The Limerock Street parcels would need a zone change for such a use.
A telephone message left Friday morning with Coleman was not immediately returned.