First community-owned biodiesel plant in Massachusetts to open in early 2016

Co-op Power, a consumer-owned sustainable energy cooperative, expects its new biodiesel plant in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to come online in early 2016.

The plant will take in used cooking oil (UCO) from local restaurants, schools, and institutions and convert it into millions of gallons of biodiesel.

According to Co-op Power CEO Lynn Benander, the Northeast Biodiesel Plant is not the first biodiesel refinery in the region, but it will be the first that is locally owned.

Benander also notes that one of the biggest reasons why Co-op Power got involved in the project was the limited access to biodiesel in the area.

Isaan Baker, director of community shared solar programmes at Co-op Power, says there were opportunities to have outside investors join the project, but keeping the investment local helped enhance community control.

‘Someone might decide to go and sell the asset to a foreign company, where we would have no control over who was receiving the lowest cost benefit, or whether or not the plant was just shut down,’ Baker explains.

Co-op Power is investing $3.5 million (€3.1m) to build the plant and says the 14 people who end up working there will also have shares in the cooperative.