Mainebiz

V O L . X X X N O. V I M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 2 4 6 The Atlantic Federal Credit Union Foun- dation in South Portland raised $147,799 and New Dimensions Federal Credit Union in Waterville raised $25,208 for the 2023 Maine Credit Union League's Campaign for Ending Hunger. The Maine Community College System announced it became a founding member of the Maine Defense Industry Alliance, a nonprofit coalition of Maine defense com- panies, community colleges and universi- ties, state agencies and the U.S. Navy. Plastic and Hand Surgical Associates will move its surgery center from South Portland to Westbrook's Rock Row Medi- cal and Research Campus, which is now under construction.Skin Solutions, a medical-grade skin care center, will al- so join Rock Row, the developer, Water- stone Properties Group, said. Portland-based MaineHealth, Maine's largest health care system, said it has begun rolling out a new brand across its hospitals and other facilities. The goal is to make it easier for patients to under- stand, find and access their care. The rollout includes updating the names of hospitals, medical practices, administra- tive offices and other locations. The Maine Space Grant Consortium said it is planning a second-annual Maine Space Conference, to be held Oct. 23-25 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Tiara Yachts, a manufacturer of luxu- ry watercrafts in Holland, Mich., added DiMillo's Yacht Sales in Portland to its dealer network. Sebago Technics Inc., an employee- owned engineering collective in South Portland, relocated its Sanford office to 15 Daigle Lane, Suite 103. Sea Tow, a national on-water marine as- sistance provider, announced that its Portland-midcoast operation added a vessel at DiMillo's Marina in Kennebunk. Par tners Bank in Sanford donated $10,000 to Make-A-Wish Maine dur- ing the Share the Power of a Wish Tele- thon at the CBS13/FOX23 station. Alice Yardley, a maker and retailer of handcrafted leather bags, moved to 99 Exchange St. in Portland. The Atlantic Federal Credit Union Founda- tion in South Portland awarded a $10,000 grant to the Sanford Backpack Program, a resource that provides food for students when school meals aren't available. Legacy Properties Sotheby's Interna- tional Realty, a luxury real estate firm in Portland, said its agent-led Legacy's Legacy: Giving Back to Maine program donated a total of $75,000 to more than 75 charitable organizations in 2023. Sebago Clean Waters, a collaborative fo- cused on conserving forestland in the Se- bago Lake watershed to protect the Great- er Portland water supply, announced busi- ness partnerships to help fund its conser- vation work with Portland breweries Lone Pine Brewing and Bissell Brothers as well as Grove Collaborative, a sustainable con- sumer products retailer in San Francisco. Friends of Casco Bay moved its offices to 75 West Commercial St., Suite 301 in Portland. Carter Torina, a Yarmouth-based collect- ables influencer and star of CarterCol- lectsCards Trade Nights, has partnered with Mascot, an inventory management platform and multi-sales channel distri- bution network for collectibles. Wetlands America Trust Inc., a program of Ducks Unlimited, bought the parcel at 36 South Belfast Ave. in Augusta, from Little Togus Land Ventures LLC for an un- disclosed price. It will transfer the par- cel to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Ru- ral Development awarded a $45,000 Ru- ral Business Development Grant to the city of Waterville to conduct a study of its local recreational assets. Norway Savings Bank donated $10,000 to MSAD No. 17 in Oxford Hills to pay for field trips at elementary schools through- out the district. The bank also commit- ted $120,000 to fully fund the NorthStar program, a hands-on mentoring program that engages young people with adven- ture challenges and leadership, for stu- dents at Telstar middle and high schools in Bethel until 2027. The University of Maine at Augusta said it launched the first public graduate cer- tificate program in data visualization and representation in Maine as well as a new music technology degree program, bach- elor of arts in music technology. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services announced that it re- ceived a $2 million federal grant to sup- port behavioral health, community well- ness and resiliency in the wake of the Lewiston tragedy on Oct. 25, 2023. Waste-to-energy facility could see new life by 2025 B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r A troubled waste processing facility in Orrington has found a new owner and is expected to restart opera- tions in early 2025. Eagle Point Energy Center acquired the waste-to-energy facility, formerly known as the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co., with the goal to re-open the facility for the processing and recycling of municipal solid waste. Terms were not disclosed. The plant had stopped accepting municipal solid waste last May, forcing municipalities to divert material to area landfills. The waste that is currently in the facility will be compacted in the spring and used upon restart. Eagle Point is assessing the facility for required improve- ments. "So much has been promised regarding solid waste disposal to various communities in recent history," said Dan Cashman, Eagle Point's spokesperson. "Eagle Point Energy Center plans to return the Orrington plant to basic operation and work with stakeholders to optimize the facility to meet the long term needs of the region." The company has begun hiring staff to work toward restart- ing the plant, including some employees from the old company. The hiring process is ongoing, and will be a phased-in approach based on the timeline for restarting operations. Penobscot Energy Recovery Co., located on 42 acres next to the Penobscot River at 29 Industrial Way in Orrington, used processed waste as fuel to generate renewable electric- ity. Built in 1988, the plant eventually handled solid waste from more than 40 communities in eastern, central and midcoast Maine. In 2018, the plant began to lose municipal contracts, as communities chose to send waste to Fiberight, a new 144,000-square foot waste-to-biofuel facility in Hampden. PERC fought back with the purchase of two $800,000 grinders — nicknamed The Terminators — to improve effi- ciency and remain competitive. But the company lost nearly two-thirds of its municipal solid waste contracts. In 2019, the plant added a multimillion-dollar processing system to replace older equipment and streamline waste handling. The facility employed 55 people at the time. Last November, the PERC plant, which was then operat- ing, was sold in a foreclosure auction conducted by Keenan Auction Co. Inc. The plant consists of 12 industrial buildings contain- ing 188,936 square feet of space on 43.87 acres, with a 25.3-megawatt power plant and automated front-end waste processing system. The Fiberight facility itself closed in 2020 after a little more than a year in operation. B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state B R I E F P ROV I D E D P H O T O / U S A E N E R G Y C O R P. N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E S T A T E W I D E N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N S O U T H E R N N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N The plant includes a 25.3-megawatt power plant and automated front-end waste processing system. The former Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. plant in Orrington has been sold.

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