An $8 million wood-burning power plant constructed to save energy costs at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City probably will be closed in the next several months. “It loses money every day,” says Howard Skolnik, director of the state Department of Corrections. “We’ll see if we can get a buyer or another agency or just shut it down.” The director said the plant was constructed smaller than it should have been, and prison inmates were supposed to operate it. But that didn’t work out. Having state workers run the plant was much more expensive than having inmates on the job, he said. Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, said the operation has “not been successful from day one.” The state provided $6.5 million for construction and the U.S. Forest Service and federal stimulus money brought the project to $8.8 million...more
Most of these green projects would pencil out...as long as you use cost free slave labor.
"It was initially estimated that it would save the prison system about $40,000 a month."
The estimator(s) should be pilloried in front of the state capitol. Perhaps they would receive more accurate information in the future.
"Skolnik said, however, that a study showed the plant could not be operated profitably, even with energy grants."
You've got a really sorry project when a government employee says that even more subsidies won't save it.
"Mohlenkamp said a study would be conducted 'on the lessons learned'.”
I'm left speechless, but just have to ask: how much will the study cost? Never mind, it would just be another estimate.
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