Upbeat report on Renovo Energy Center project

MACKEYVILLE, PA – Mike Flanagan, head of the Clinton County Economic Partnership, gave a brief but upbeat report on the status of the proposed Renovo Energy Center. The occasion was the Partnership’s annual meeting held at the Clinton County Fairgrounds Wednesday night.

Flanagan, in his annual report to the membership, said officials from Renovo Energy Center, as well as possible investors were in the county last week to meet with local and state officials. He said he remains “cautiously optimistic” the project will be getting underway in the near future.

The Clinton County Commissioners had been in attendance at one of the meetings with the REC representatives and county board chairman Miles Kessinger said Wednesday night the session was “very positive.”

Renovo Energy is proposing a better than $1-billion natural gas-to-electricity power plant for the former Renovo rail-yard site on the north side of Renovo. While the project was first proposed in 2014, there has been a small contingent of Renovo area residents opposed to the plant who have become increasingly vocal in recent months.

The meeting saw the re-election of four Partnership operating board members, all for 3-year terms, all without opposition. They are the City of Lock Haven, Big Woods Land Company, Stella A’s restaurant, and Jim Hanna.

Flanagan announced that due to uncertainty because of COVID-19, the Partnership will not be holding its annual dinner this October and the December holiday party is also cancelled. This will be the second year in a row that COVID has caused cancellation of the dinner. He said there is not a local facility large enough to accommodate the turnout for the annual affair, given prospective indoor restrictions. The Partnership presently has more than 350 members.