The Maine Public Utilities Commission picked winning bidders for its continued biomass electricity generation plants in the state and approved a $13 million taxpayer subsidy to reopen or support the plants, a report by Main Public says.

According to the report, the commission approved a plan to use surplus state revenues to help the biomass industry and forest product employees who also depend on it, by building up the prices plant receive when selling electricity on the regional grid. The commission has also chosen the winning bidders for the project.

Re-energy Holdings, with corporate headquarters in Latham, New York, is among one of the winning bidders, as well as Stored Solar, Reading, England. The companies won two-year contracts that require documentation that permanent jobs are created and preserved and that the fuel is sourced from Maine, the report says. The companies will provide energy created at four plants in Fort Fairfield, Ashland, West Enfield and Jonesboro.

Re-energy Holdings will support the Fort Fairfield and Ashland plants, around 50 direct jobs and 200 indirect jobs related to the Aroostook County forest workers and truckers, the report says, while Stored Solar will reemploy 44 workers at the two previously shuttered plants in West Enfield and Jonesboro.

According to the report, Stored Solar has applied to receive Federal permissions to reopen the shuttered plants.