Macon County, Alabama
The Macon County, Alabama BDO Zone for Woody Biomass is rated ‘A’.
Rating Issue Date: January 31, 2025.
'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.
Macon County, AL holds an investment-grade BDO Zone ‘A’ Rating for Forest residuals, Sawmill residuals, Pulpwood. Issued in Jan 2025, the rating certifies approximately 2,112,000 gt/yr of reliable, low-risk biomass feedstock available within a 75-mile driving distance from the center point (Tuskegee, AL).
A ‘A’ rating is an investment grade rating, signalling a reliable, low-risk feedstock supply. It signals to developers, lenders, and investors that Macon County, AL’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
- Growing forest industry due to large availability of sustainable and affordable sawtimber and pulpwood
- Well-established forest supply chains with proven track record of scale-up
- Designated industrial site with prime access to rail services and highways, and readily available essential physical and social infrastructure
- Large number of competitors with established relationships with existing suppliers
- Aging logging industry and need for large, skilled workforce to harvest pulpwood
- Lack of sufficient log truck drivers to support required scale-up
Infrastructure & sites
- 277 available acres; $25,000 per acre
- Access to key east-west high-load corridor; half-mile from I-85 (Exit 38)
- Positioned between Montgomery (AL) and Auburn/Opelika (AL)
- CSX Mainline rail frontage
- High-capacity natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, and fiber services
- Under 2 hours from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Under 1 hour from Montgomery Regional Airport
- Five minutes from Moton Field Municipal Airfield
- Access to agricultural lands & international markets
- 350 available acres (240 buildable acres); $20,000 per acre
- Highway 199 and Midway Road, Tuskegee, AL 36083
- 3 miles from I-85 (Exit 38)
- Positioned between Montgomery (AL) and Auburn/Opelika (AL)
- CSX Mainline adjacent with completed rail-highway traffic study
- High-capacity natural gas, electricity, water, wastewater, and fiber services
- Under 2 hours from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Under 1 hour from Montgomery Regional Airport
- Five minutes from Moton Field Municipal Airfield
- Access to agricultural lands & international markets
Local grants & incentives
- Opportunity Zones (OZ) - three certified Qualified Opportunity Zones with capital gains tax incentives
- New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) - federal tax program for equity investments
- Negotiable local and state assistance
- Delta Regional Authority (DRA) support for infrastructure and workforce
- Appalachian Regional Commission support
Contacts
