ROCKLAND, Maine — The company that wants to build a $200 million natural gas-fired plant in the city opted not to submit a bid this year to the state to provide electricity on a long-term basis to the power grid. The firm, however, still wants to locate a facility in Rockland.
Rockland Energy Center LLC official Mitchell Jacobs informed the city in a letter Friday about the company’s decision not to submit a bid last week to the Public Utilities Commission. The City Council had voted May 1 to grant Rockland Energy a nonbinding option to buy 18 acres of city-owned land where City Hall and the public services building are located.
The council held the vote that day to allow Rockland Energy an opportunity to present a proposal to the PUC on the last day that bids were being accepted to provide electricity on a long-term basis.
“While we were pleased to see a broad base of support for our project, some community members presented questions and concerns about our proposal. It is important that these individuals are given the platform necessary to receive further information about our project and the benefits [Rockland Energy Center] will bring not only to the [midcoast] region, but the entire state of Maine,” Jacobs said in his letter.
The company official said Rockland Energy still plans to execute the option agreement within the next 30 days, but it first wanted to hold an informational public session on the proposal. Any sale of the property must be approved by Rockland residents at a referendum and cannot occur earlier than Aug. 31.
The Rockland Energy official said the company would submit a bid to the PUC in the next round, which could come next year.
The first public informational session to be held on Tuesday, May 26, will address natural gas safety and fracking, a controversial method of extracting the fuel. Councilor Larry Pritchett, who chairs the city’s energy committee, will moderate the session.
The next steps will involve discussions about elements of site plan review, environmental considerations, compensation for relocating municipal buildings, and the importance of Rockland’s role in statewide power and heating demands, City Manager James Chaousis said Friday.
He said the discussions will involve a mixture of public sessions and public outreach.
“It is the developer’s burden to educate the public and elected officials,” Chaousis said.
“Having more time to have these difficult discussions will be very welcome by all and the future of business in Rockland remains bright,” he said.