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Caledonia County, Vermont

The Caledonia County, Vermont BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A’.

Rating Issue Date: June 21, 2024.

‘A’ ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.

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Call 833-311-4BDO

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BDO Zone Rating

Caledonia County, VT, BDO Zone Overview

Feedstock quantities are expressed in bone dry tonnes per year (bdt/yr), while feedstock costs are expressed in USD ($). Maximum transport distance is based on a 75-mile driving distance from the centre point (Lyndonville, VT).

BDO Zone Assets:

Closure of biomass power plants and pulp mills freed large amounts of biomass and supply chain capacity that can be available for a new project.
Forestry remains a long-established and robust industry in the BDO Zone, despite the closure of regional pulp mills.
Forestry supply chains well-established and efficient for commercial quantities of pulpwood, sawmill residues, and forest residues.

BDO Zone Liabilities:

Act 250 likely to add uncertainty, cost, and lengthy review process for new bio-based projects.
Strained forest residue supply chain due to market prices at or below production costs.
Severe and increasingly frequent floods have had a negative economic effect on logging contractors.
Logging company ownership and management is aging and may face difficulties with the transfer of ownership upon retirement.

Infrastructure

St. Johnsbury-Lyndon Industrial Park

Lot 3 is a 7.7-acre site centrally located in St. Johnsbury-Lyndon Industrial Park.
Accessible via Interstate 91 and US Route 5, with US Route 2 just over 5 miles away.
The site falls within St. Johnsbury, near the Lyndon/St. Johnsbury boundary.
Infrastructure includes 3-phase power, water, sewer, stormwater, and paved roads.
Lyndonville Electric’s onsite substation provides 34.5kV power, regulated by 167kV GE regulators; no SCADA communication.
The park has an Act 250 master permit, allowing quicker permit amendments.

Contact Info

Ryan Magwood

Head of Business Development

BDO Zone Initiative

ryan@bdozone.org

647-962-3286

BDO Zone Local Development Leaders

Jared Reynolds

Director

Do North and Forestry Accelerator

Local grants and Incentives

The Northeast Kingdom communities of Lyndon, St. Johnsbury, and Newport all contain at least one Opportunity Zone.

Certifications from reputable programs like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Vermont Family Forests, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Vermont Tree Farm Program validate forestry operations, reducing the risk of reputational damage. Vermont’s Use Value Appraisal tax program for forestland covers over 16,000 parcels and 2 million acres, providing economic incentives for sustainable management.

Vermont’s Climate Action Plan outlines strategies to address climate change’s consequences, including hazard mitigation infrastructure, forest management optimization, monitoring forestry operations, and advancing new forest plantation stock. Furthermore, the state has set rigorous procurement standards for biomass power plants, requiring silvicultural practices, harvest plans, soil quality preservation, and wildlife agreements, with professional foresters monitoring harvests.