Sacul breaks ground on new biomass plant that will bring 300 new jobs

PHOTO: QUINTEN BOYD Participating in Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Sacul biomass plant were state Rep. Wayne Christian; Southern Power CEO Ronnie Bates; Nacgodoches Economic Development Council (NEDCO) president Bill King; NEDCO chairman Ed Pool; former NEDCO president Judy McDonald; SFA provost Dr. Richard Berry; Austin Energy representative Pat Sweeney; Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce chairman Paul Smith; Nacogdoches County Commissioner Jerry Don Williamson; Nacogdoches County Judge Joe English and Cushing Mayor Bruce Richards. On a beautiful day overlooking a small pond, the optimism for a brand new biomass plant that will provide 300 new jobs for the area was high.

Not even a thief who stole one of the tents used for the ceremony could bring them down.

Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, officially broke ground on what will become a 100 megawatt biomass plant to be built just outside of Sacul during a ceremony last Tuesday afternoon.

PHOTO: QUINTEN BOYD Southern Power CEO Ronnie Bates speaks to the crowd during Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the new biomass plant to be built just outside of Sacul. Southern Power representatives say the plant will provide approximately 300 jobs to East Texas. Nearly 150 people attended, including Southern Power CEO Ronnie Bates; state Rep. Wayne Christian (R-Nacogdoches); Dr. Richard Berry, provost at Stephen F. Austin State University and representatives for Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Senator John Cornyn and state Sen. Robert Nichols.

“This groundbreaking is very important for both Southern Company and for Nacogdoches County and East Texas,” said Southern Power Media Relations coordinator Steve Higginbottom. “Typically, our facilities are some of the largest taxpayers in counties where they are located.

“Local officials have worked hard to make the plant a reality, and we could not have undertaken this project without them. We thank them for their foresight and their determination.”

Rep. Christian said that the project was the product of a “can-do attitude” in East Texas.

“There are good folks here in East Texas,” he said. “When an East Texan says that they’re going to do something, dadgum it, it gets done. This shows what happens when good folks work hard to get the right thing done for the area.”

Nacogdoches Economic Development Council Chairman Ed Pool said that with the groundbreaking taking place, the benefits would spread out to the entire area.

“We can stand back and say, ‘wow, it’s finally here,’” he said. “We’re joining with Southern Company for a project that our children can be proud of.”

Mr. Bates said that the power plant should be close to fully operational within 32 months and that 300 new jobs would be created during the project.

“When we got involved, we were highly pleased to see Nacogdoches Power and American Renewables had a boilerplate plan for the plant,” Mr. Bates said. “It’s humbling to come to a community that wants you. We know that a lot of people have done a ton of work to get this project.”

The plaint will specialize in wastewood biomass and used to serve the electrical needs for the city of Austin, with whom the plant has a 20-year power purchase agreement. The wastewood, roughly one million tons per year, will be procured within a 75-mile radius of the Sacul location.

“We won’t use commercial timber for our plant’s fuel,” Mr. Higginbottom said. “We’ll be using noncommercial woodwaste that comes from mu- nicipal waste, tree clearing and other woodwaste that would otherwise go to landfills.”

Mr. Higginbottom said that the biomass plant will bring approximately $58 million dollars to the area over the 20-year power purchase agreement.

“We want our company to be seen as an economic engine for the area, both as far as jobs and as a tax base,” he said.

Mr. Bates said that it is his company’s aim to hire locally.

“We like to hire locally for workers for our plants,” he said. “We’re looking forward to a long lifecycle with East Texas.”

Cushing Mayor Bruce Richards said that the hard work put forth by the county and the area paid off despite economic woes.

“We’re proud about what’s happening here,” Mayor Richards said. “I know our merchants are looking forward to what’s happening here. This is proof that we don’t let what others say about the economy stop us when we want to get something done.”

Equipment for construction of the plant is already on site, and representatives say that construction will start soon.

“We want to say welcome to our new neighbors (Southern Power),” Rep. Christian said.

Thank the good Lord and thanks to our community for rolling up their sleeves so we could get to work.

“This will help make sure our children can grow up with the blessings we have enjoyed here in deep East Texas.”