Randolph has suddenly and simultaneously been presented with two proposals—just rough ideas at this point—to generate renewable energy within the town.

Last Tuesday, April 7, the selectboard heard a presentation of a proposal to use the methane gas generated by the town’s closed landfill to generate electricity, heat and profits that backers believe could jumpstart a small agricultural industry in that town-owned parcel of land across the railroad tracks from the transfer station.

The agricultural opportunities could include greenhouses heated with the methane gas, as well as fish farming and algae production, said Don McCormick of Carbon Harvest Energy, the lead partner in the venture. Another partner is the engineering firm Sanborn Head, with offices in Randolph and elsewhere, which is experienced in methane recovery.

McCormick also announced—and it was confirmed this week by the governor’s office—that Carbon Harvest has received a $200,000 grant of stimulus money to advance the Randolph proposal.

The second energy proposal would use the burning of biomass (mostly wood chips) in a central heating plant that could serve downtown buildings, the hospital, and the industrial properties on South Pleasant Street Ext.

The plant might be located on that street or perhaps in the landfill area.

This idea will be described in detail next Monday, April 20, when the results of a $50,000 study will be presented to the public.

Presenters will be the lead agency, the Biomass Energy Resource Center of Montpelier, as well as VTC and the Randolph Area Community Development Corp. (RACDC).

An evening meeting is scheduled for the public from 7-9 p.m. Monday at the Baptist Fellowship church on Route 66. It will introduce the concepts of biomass energy, explain the study findings, and discuss potential applications to everyday lives. That afternoon, a separate meeting will update town officials, downtown and industrial zone businesses, and foresters about the preliminary findings.

Energy Committee
Both ideas will now be taken up by Randolph’s two-year-old energy committee, headed by Frank Reed—the man who was most responsible for creating the lined landfill that is producing the methane.

Some of that committee are already familiar with the biomass report, and Reed asked the selectboard last Tuesday to forward the methane project to his committee as well.

McCormick of Carbon Harvest had requested that the selectboard vote on a memorandum of understanding with his company at the Tuesday meeting. Since it was the first time the board had heard about the project, however, its members decided to issue just an expression of interest, and forward it to the energy committee.

Besides Reed, other members are Larry Richburg, Joan Richmond Hall, Tim Caulfield, Patrick French, and Jennifer Phipps. It is a regional committee, as three members are from Braintree.