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Arkansas’ burgeoning biomass industry got a big boost earlier this summer when in the space of 30 days two privately held investor groups announced multi-million dollar projects to produce commercially viable fuel from the state’s vast supply of forest dregs.

On July 30, Zilkha Biomass Energy announced plans to build a proprietary black wood pellet manufacturing plant in Monticello that company officials said could be easily integrated into the energy grid as a clean energy alternative to coal-powered electricity.

“Power companies across the globe are looking for renewable energy alternatives and biomass wood pellets stand as one of the most practical and cost-effective solutions,” said Jack Holmes, CEO of Zilkha Biomass Energy. “This plant in Monticello will be one of Zilkha’s largest and will help us capture more of the growing biomass energy market.”

Less than a month after the Zilkha announcement, Highland Pellets LLC announced on Aug. 25 that it was building a 500,000 metric ton per year wood pellet facility in Pine Bluff, about an hour’s drive north from Monticello. In its news release, Highland boasted that its $130 million plant will create more than 35 direct jobs and another 482 offshoot jobs that would provide an $86 million a year financial bounce to local communities.

Grant Tennille, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, is one of the state’s biggest cheerleaders for the biomass industry. He also said Gov. Mike Beebe has been a staunch supporter of the renewable and clean energy industry since he first sworn as the state’s 45th chief executive in 2007.

From The City Wire: https://www.thecitywire.com/node/35425#.VGPQSYeJlA5