BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 24, 2020
To some, it may have seemed like a win-win situation when a group of more than 100 Maine communities announced early this month that it was planning to send a majority of its household trash to a familiar place: the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. facility in Orrington that burns waste to generate electricity. That has brought new revenue to PERC. But it has also brought steep new costs. lant Manager Henry Lang said, “If I had to guess, I would say that we’re not making a profit on it.” However, while the short-term arrangement may not be sustainable, Lang said that it will be better overall for the environment and will help to preserve Maine’s unused landfill space.