Cameron County, Pennsylvania
The Cameron County, Pennsylvania BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A’.
Rating Issue Date: December 20, 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.
Cameron County, PA holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘A’ Rating for Forest residuals, Pulpwood. Issued in Dec 2024, the rating certifies approximately 900,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mile driving distance from the centre point (Emporium, PA).
A ‘A’ rating is an investment grade rating, signalling a reliable, low-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Cameron County, PA’s feedstock supply has undergone rigorous, standardized due diligence across 100+ risk indicators, the same framework applied to every BDO Zone across North America.
Every BDO Zone Rating assesses a region across three dimensions, mapped as expanding radii around a candidate site.
- Feedstock surplus: Data indicating at least 50,000 tonnes per year of excess feedstock available to support typical intake of new biofuels manufacturing plants.
- Supply chain strength: Evidence supporting long-term commitment to supply both quantity and quality by local farmers, forestry companies, food waste generators, haulers and municipalities.
- Sound infrastructure: Suitable transportation, logistic, operating and supporting infrastructure to meet the requirements for new facility operations.
Assets & liabilities
- Leading hardwood lumber and wood product manufacturing hub in North America
- Adequate logging and transportation capacity to support new large-scale bioprojects
- Synergy between pulpwood markets and silvicultural objectives in public forests
- High quality infrastructure attributes, including low-cost natural gas, low electricity rates, and rail access
- Feedstock likely to be procured over distances greater than 55 miles due to proximity to competitors
- Aging workforce and need for improved recruitment
Infrastructure & sites
- 1 Airport Rd | Emporium, PA 15834
- Sale Price: $3,750,000
- Building Type: Industrial manufacturing warehouse/office
- Building Size: 244,997 SF
- Parcel Size: 13.10 acres
- Year Built: 1997
- Cranes: Two 3-Ton; One 1.5-Ton
- Power: Substation metered at 46kV / 5 transformers
- Office Area: 3-story office, 27,000 SF with elevator
- 117,000 sq.ft. manufacturing facility with 80,000 sq.ft. of lease space available
- 480V Three Phase Electric, upgradable to 2,000 Amps
- Adjacent to Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad with potential for rail siding
- 37,600 sq ft manufacturing facility
- 3.6 acres
- 3200 amp electrical service
- Adjacent to 6 acres of vacant land owned by the Cameron County IDA
Local grants & incentives
- Cameron County Business Loan Program
- St Marys Economic Development Corporation Business Loan Program
- North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission Business Financing Program
- Local Economic Revitalization Tax Act (LERTA) for new construction
- Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
- Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) – Emporium Borough
Contacts
