BUCKSPORT, Maine — “The majority of the property is just sitting there,” Bucksport Town Manager Sue Lessard said after taking a look at the mostly empty Verso Paper Mill site on the Penobscot River.

For Lessard and other Bucksport residents, the closure of the mill is a pain that lingers. “It’s an open wound.”

But, with assistance from the Maine Community Energy Redevelopment Program, or MECERP, Lessard says the town has an opportunity to revitalize the former mill and use it as a clean energy production site.

“See that site developed in an environmentally-friendly way that also brings jobs and value to the community, and just activity to that site,” Lessard said.

Their primary partner in the venture is JERA Americas, an energy company currently operating a thermal power facility on a portion of the old mill property. Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at JERA Americas Randy Bell says they are considering several possibilities.

“We’re discussing right now internally solar, renewable fuels, things like that,” he said.

Bell explained how the redevelopment project has the potential to not only provide financial benefits for current residents, but also foster long-term economic growth. 

“Looking to the future, maybe a data center or maybe something related to technology where additional power right here could be very valuable,” Bell said.

On top of the potential economic benefits, the state sees these local redevelopment efforts as part of a broader environmental and economic strategy. Dan Burgess, director of the Governor’s Energy Office, emphasized that projects like this are integral to Maine’s plan for addressing climate change. 

“These sites represent a big opportunity for Maine to reach its climate and clean energy goals across the state,” Burgess noted.

Town officials, JERA Americas, and experts provided through MECERP say they’ll continue to meet and discuss plans for the clean energy site until their able to decide on the best clean energy option for Bucksport.

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