FL - Seminole Adds More Biomass To Its Renewable Energy Portfolio

The Sweet Sorghum-Fueled Plant Will Be Built in Hendry County, FL and Produce 25 Megawatts of Renewable Energy, Enough to Meet the Needs of about 15,000 Homes

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Seminole Adds More Biomass To Its Renewable Energy Portfolio

The Sweet Sorghum-Fueled Plant Will Be Built in Hendry County, FL and Produce 25 Megawatts of Renewable Energy, Enough to Meet the Needs of about 15,000 Homes

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seminole Electric Cooperative, the nonprofit wholesale power supplier to 10 electric distribution co-ops in Florida, will add 25 megawatts (MW) of biomass energy to its resource portfolio under a contract signed in July 2009 with Ft. Lauderdale-based Southeast Renewable Fuels.

Seminoles chief executive, Tim Woodbury, says the new contract reflects the cooperatives continued commitment to renewable resources and environmental stewardship.

Biomass is clean, efficient, reliable, and renewable, Woodbury noted, and its price competitive with traditional energy sources, an important factor in holding down the retail cost of electricity.

Southeasts chief executive, Aaron Pepper, said that SRF has taken a unique approach to Florida policymakers calls for development of advanced energy concepts. Instead of relying on unproven technology that hasnt been scaled to production levels, SRF has modeled the facility after well-established processes successfully deployed in places such as Brazil.

We are very pleased to be working with Seminole Electric and thankful to the State of Florida, Governor Crist, Commissioner Bronson, and the Florida Energy and Climate Commission for assisting in developing the States first commercial Advanced Bio-Refinery, he added.

The facility is expected to go into commercial service sometime in late 2011. The new contract gives Seminole the option of purchasing the facilitys output through Nov. 30, 2036. The parties did not disclose contract terms.

The new facility is also expected to help Seminole meet forecasted growth in the demand for electricity in Florida. The Cooperative said it continues to work with its Members to slow that growth through energy efficiency and conservation initiatives.

One megawatt of energy can meet the energy needs of about 600 average-size homes.

About Seminole Electric Cooperative (SECI)

Tampa-based Seminole currently meets about 4% of its Member systems energy needs with renewable resources. These resources primarily waste-to-energy, landfill gas, and biomass energy - comprise one of the largest portfolios of Florida-based renewables now in service. Seminole also is a member of the National Renewable Cooperatives Organization, which promotes and facilitates the development of renewable energy resources for its members.

For more information on Seminole Electric Cooperative, please visit our web site at http://www.seminole-electric.com.

About Southeast Renewable Fuels (SRF)

SRF is a project developer of renewable resources. Its primary focus is the production of biofuels from agricultural feedstocks. The company currently has plans to develop three sweet sorghum-to-ethanol advanced bio-refineries in South Florida. The initial facility received a 2009 grant from the Florida Energy and Climate Commission.

For more information on Southeast Renewables Fuels, please visit its web site at http://www.serenewablefuels.com/.

Additional Information

Web Site: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090728006338&newsLang=en

Category: Forestry>Biomass Energy

Region: Florida

Ad Running: 7/29/2009-7/29/2011

Ad Posted: 7/29/2009 5:32:18 PM

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