Besicorp-Empire Development Company, LLC announced that it has filed formal applications for the development of a proposed cogeneration power generating facility and recycled newsprint manufacturing facility that the company plans to construct in Rensselaer, NY.

The permits are required before construction of the facilities can begin. The power facility permitting process (Article X) is administered through the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment and the recycled newsprint facility permitting process (SEQRA) is administered through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The power facility utilizes state-of-the-art, highly efficient cogeneration technology and will produce approximately 500 megawatts of power. The facility will use primarily natural gas to generate electricity.

The recycled newsprint facility will produce over 330,000 tons (300,000 t) of 100 percent recycled, high-quality newsprint each year using state-of-the-art equipment. All of the steam and electricity requirements of the paper facility will be provided by the power facility.

The project is being sited on property owned by BASF, which ceased its Rensselaer operations in December 2000, and will result in the industrial re-deployment of this brownfield site.

The Company publicly announced the project in Rensselaer in July 2000 and filed an Article X Preliminary Scoping Statement and SEQRA Draft Scoping Document in November 2000, beginning the pre-application phase of New York State’s extensive regulatory review process. The company has held extensive public meetings to assure the issues of importance to the community were identified and fully investigated during the

permitting process. The permitting/approvals phase of the project is expected to be

completed within 14 months, with construction targeted immediately thereafter, and commencement of commercial operations in mid-2004.

William T. Seils, president, stated, "Filing the Article X/SEQRA Application represents another major milestone in the development of our project and moves us significantly closer to its successful completion. The project will help meet both the need for new electric generating capacity and the production of recycled newsprint. We are proud to contribute to the recycling, clean power generation, and brownfield restoration goals of New York State, in addition to contributing to economic growth through job creation and contributions to the regional economy."

Besicorp Development Inc. specializes in the development of environmentally sound independent power projects.

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