ADAGE and Gadsden County Officials at the December 9, 2009 Announcement. From Left: Reed Wills, President, ADAGE; Anthony Baker, Mayor, City of Gretna; Eugene Lamb, Chairman, Gadsden County Commission; David Gardner, Executive Director, Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce; and Representative Alan Williams
ADAGE Announces Site in Florida for Second Proposed Renewable Energy Project
Gretna, Fla., December 9, 2009 — Officials from the City of Gretna, Gadsden County, and the State of Florida joined representatives of ADAGE LLC today to announce a proposed renewable energy project in Gretna and discuss the new jobs the project would create. ADAGE is a joint venture owned by affiliates of AREVA SA and Duke Energy Corporation.
"We are excited to partner with the community here in Gadsden County as ADAGE continues to work to build a biopower industry in Florida that will deliver clean energy and new economic development to the state," said Reed Wills, President of ADAGE. "ADAGE looks forward to working with the City of Gretna to deliver new job opportunities to Florida in 2010."
ADAGE has designed a 50 Megawatt facility in Gadsden County that will provide a new source of electricity and significant new economic opportunity. The facility will be fueled by clean wood byproducts sourced locally and deliver enough electricity to power approximately 40,000 homes over its 40-year lifetime.
"The people of Gretna share ADAGE's vision for creating new economic development opportunities through 21st century clean energy technology," said Gretna Mayor Anthony J. Baker.
ADAGE estimates that over 400 direct jobs will be created during construction of the Gadsden project and another 124 permanent jobs will be created in plant operations and fuel collection. In addition, analysis for ADAGE's first facility in Hamilton County, Florida shows that the first 2.5 years of construction and initial operation will create 700 direct and indirect jobs and over $100 million in direct economic benefits.
"We look forward to working closely with ADAGE to ensure green-tech jobs and maximize the project's countywide and regional economic impact," added Eugene Lamb, Chairman of the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners.
ADAGE has secured the rights to a site in Gretna and plans to submit the applications for the state environmental permits before the end of the year. ADAGE hopes to begin construction before the end of 2010.
"During these challenging economic times, it is critical to Gadsden County that we have a positive, credible, and sustainable partner in renewable energy," concluded David Gardner, Executive Director of the Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce. "We are excited about the economic development opportunities ADAGE presents to our county and our workforce."
More About
AREVA
As the leading U.S. nuclear vendor and a key player in the electricity transmission and distribution sector, AREVA Inc.'s 5,300 U.S. energy employees are committed to serving the nation and paving the way for the future of the electricity market. With 45 locations across the nation and nearly $2 billion in energy revenues in 2007, AREVA Inc., through its subsidiaries, combines U.S. leadership, access to worldwide expertise and a proven track record of performance. In the U.S. and in more than 100 countries around the world, AREVA is engaged in the 21st century's greatest challenges: making energy available to all, protecting the planet, and acting responsibly toward future generations. AREVA Inc. is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Visit us at: us.areva.com or follow us at Twitter.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 4 million U.S. customers in its regulated jurisdictions. The company has approximately 35,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. In addition, Duke Energy has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric generation in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.