AM850.com

Gainesville's request to delay the voting process for a 100-megawatt wood-burning biomass power plant has been accepted. Over thirty-seven public meetings have been televised to inform residents about the possible bio-mass plant. Voting on the power plant has gone on for seven years and has involved eleven political officials from every background, all have supported the plant. Gainesville Mayor Pageen Hanrahan believes a biomass power plant would benefit the Gainesville community both economically and environmentally. Hanrahan says that before making any decisions a variety of issues were considered.Hanrahan also says the bio-mass power plant will use an abundance of materials already present in the Gainesville area. While there has been some controversy surronding the cost of a biomass power plant Hanrahan assures that although a one hundred million dollar decificit is possible, up to 400 million dollars could be generated by the power plant. She also notes that the only other alternative to a biomass plant is natural gas, which is more expensive and less safe for the environment.