North Central: Fueling the Future
Focus on alternative energies and technology bodes well for growth in this dynamic region.
HAMILTON COUNTY
Biomass is big: Hamilton County is working with two companies on separate biomass plant projects:
- Duke Energy/ADAGE plans to con-struct a 50-megawatt biopower plant in the region. “We are pleased to partner with Hamilton County as it considers becoming the first community to host an ADAGE renewable energy facility,” says Reed Wills, president of ADAGE, “and we are committed to developing a project that benefits the whole community.”
- American Renewables, which is constructing a biomass plant in Alachua County, also plans to build a 100-megawatt facility on the PCS Phosphate Mines property in Hamilton.
MADISON COUNTY
Prime location: With four interchanges on Interstate 10, Madison County provides easy access and plenty of ready-to-develop land for companies looking to grow. Two businesses have already found homes at I-10 interchanges: Love’s Travel Stop & Country Store employs approximately 60 people; another 100 people work at Fast Track Travel Center.
New construction: In January 2009, the county board of commissioners approved a bid in excess of $888,000 and soon began construction of a new library in Lee. Also under construction: a new Emergency Operations Center in Madison on five acres of land donated by the city.
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