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Gulls in the Sheepscot River in Wiscasset. photo by Beth Dimond

The coal gasification plant being proposed by Twin Rivers in Wiscasset would produce electricity and diesel fuel from coal, and would be a large project with implications for all of Maine. As such, NRCM has taken a careful look at the proposal—including meeting with the developer—and examined coal gasification technology in general.

Our conclusion, endorsed by our Board of Directors, is that this is not a good project for Maine. The power plant is expected to:

• Dramatically increase Maine’s global warming pollution;
• Emit a significant amount of mercury, which is harmful to wildlife and children alike;
• Rely on large amounts of coal, the mining of which devastates habitat in the Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere; and
• Have unknown effects on air and water quality in Wiscasset.

There has been a lot of attention to coal gasification. Some people have called it “clean coal” because it may be technically possible to capture the global warming gases (carbon dioxide) from a coal gasification plant and store it deep underground. But this technology is not available today. Most experts agree that this storage is geologically infeasible in Maine. In fact, the developer has no plans to capture the global warming gases. That makes this facility a bad choice for Wiscasset, and Maine, at this time.

Even though NRCM has taken a careful look at this project, many important questions (some of which the developer can't answer) remain:

• What will be the impacts on air and water quality in Wiscasset?
• Is this proposal financially viable?
• Does the company have the experience and credibility to deliver what they promise?
• Where would the coal come from (e.g. mountaintop removal in Appalachia)?
• How much mercury will the plant emit and how will they dispose of waste products?
• Where will they get all their water?