
Courtesy Global Energy Research Associates
By Maureen Werther
A Saratoga Springs company has submitted a proposal to Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) outlining an ambitious two-phase plan to convert the vacant Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility into an energy research park.
It would include several small power plants and surrounding infrastructure representing a $2 billion investment, said Mark L. Adams, Ph.D. and CEO of Global Energy Research Associates (GERA) based at 340 Broadway.
In 2014, in response to the declining prison population, the state closed the medium-security prison, resulting in a loss of 320 full-time jobs with an estimated loss of $14 million in annual wages. The state is working through ESDC to find buyers for the site. They are offering an $8 million incentive package as part of its effort to attract bidders.
GERA’s plans include the creation of a two-phase energy and research development facility, using a nuclear-powered internal engine, which Adams said is the only prototype of its kind. The internal engine is powered using radioactive waste material and creates no exhaust. The engine serves a dual purpose of disposing of radioactive waste in a clean and efficient manner, while producing its own energy.
“There is no ancillary waste with this system,” said Adams, adding that GERA’s engine operates at efficiencies greater than 70 percent.