Renovo Energy Center Project Chugs Along

RENOVO – The much anticipated Renovo Energy Center project is moving along, per a report at last week’s Renovo Borough Council meeting.

Tom Emero, REC consultant, phoned into council’s March 13 meeting and stated that things are positively progressing. With all permitting completed, project backers have been spending recent months on completing financing for the proposed $800 million natural gas-to-electricity plant. The project was first disclosed in 2014 and the best case scenario is that construction could begin at the end of this calendar year.

The Clinton County Economic Partnership has been monitoring the vast undertaking. Partnership chief operating officer Mike Flanagan said last week’s word is encouraging: “We appreciate all the work and investment Renovo Energy Center has done to this point in order to make this project a reality.”

Flanagan said, “As they continue to seek funding, we remain cautiously optimistic that the project will take place, beginning in late 2019. We also appreciate all the assistance and support of Renovo Borough, local and state agencies as it relates to this important project.”

The plant is proposed for the old Renovo rail yard site on the north side of the borough. Up to 800 workers are anticipated on the construction site over the better than two-year construction period. 25 to 30 fulltime positions are expected to be created.