CHERRY POINT, Wash. – The effort to restart the idled Alcoa aluminum smelter at Cherry Point is gaining steam.
Port of Bellingham Director of Economic Development Don Goldberg says Blue Wolf Capital Investments has taken the lead in efforts to buy the facility and restore it’s 700 jobs.
“They’re in the process now of trying to get BPA to reinstate the power contract that Alcoa allowed to expire,” said Goldberg.
Affordable electricity is critical to the profitable operation of the smelter.
Public funds have also come into play, with lawmakers in Olympia considering a proposal from Governor Jay Inslee to invest more than $7 million dollars to make it one of only two “green” smelters in the nation.
“It would reduce the carbon output by over 65 percent or approximately 750,000 cubic tons a year reduction,” said Goldberg.
Goldberg says interest in the smelter has grown as the price of aluminum has rebounded and having additional domestic production capacity is important for national security.