Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Jared Golden announced today that they secured $1,000,000 in the Fiscal Year 2022 Transportation and Housing Appropriations bill to construct an anaerobic biodigester at the Forest Products Hub in Madison.  As the Ranking Member and lead Republican on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins co-authored this funding bill. 

The omnibus funding package passed the House and the Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The creation of the Forest Products Hub at the former paper mill site in Madison has created new employment opportunities and spurred the development of innovative uses for forest products,” said Senator Collins.  “This investment in a waste-to-energy biodigester will supply the Forest Products Hub with clean, renewable energy.  I strongly advocated for this funding, which will help to further strengthen Maine’s forest products industry and encourage additional economic development in Madison.”

“The forest products sector is one of Maine’s oldest and most important industries – creating countless jobs across many generations,” said Senator King. “Madison has long been at the heart of this industry, and the new $1 million investment for the Forest Products Hub to construct a biodigester will help the town lead the way with the forest products and energy of the future. I’m grateful for this Congressional action to support Madison and our iconic forest product industry.”

“The Madison mill site has so much potential, and the funding we are delivering to build a biomass waste-to-energy converter will play a key role in its revitalization. This project will support good jobs, eliminate wood fiber waste from the GO Lab factory and organic waste from nearby farms, and generate carbon-neutral energy for the mill site,” said Congressman Golden. “This biomass waste-to-energy converter is a win for Madison, a win for clean air, and a win for energy consumers, and I’m proud to help deliver the funding for it. Thank you to the Town of Madison for their partnership and advocacy to make this project a reality.”

The Town of Madison will use this funding Senators Collins and King and Representative Golden secured to construct an anaerobic digester that will convert organic feed stock into renewable biogas at the site of the former UPM paper mill.  The digester has committed partnerships and momentum to provide a solution to several needs: on-site renewable energy, reducing waste in landfills, and reducing the carbon footprint of a long-time industrial site.  This project is located in an Opportunity Zone, a program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to help revitalize and encourage long-term investments in underdeveloped communities.