SHAMOKIN — Northumberland County’s FUTURES (Fossil Underwriting Technology to Use Renewable Energy) program moved one step closer to the present last Wednesday night, when it was announced that construction of an alternative energy plant located in the Coal Township-SEEDCO Industrial Park could begin in April.

Speaking in front of more than 50 people at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center, Mark Nastasi, president of InntelliWatt Renewable Energy LLC, said his company was building a $10 million, 10-megawatt power plant that would generate electricity, and clean exhaust, using biomass fuels like corn husks, wood and switchgrass.

The proposed energy plant would initially create between 28 and 50 news jobs, Nastasi said. But over a five-year period, IntelliWatt could potentially create as many as 750 jobs if the plant supplied parts for similar stations around the country.

The plant will supply energy to an adjacent biodiesel plant to be built by Northeast BioEnergy LLC. It will also pump power into the local electricity grid.

All that’s awaiting the groundbreaking ceremony are permits from the state Department of Education, Nastasi explained.

The FUTURES program has local and state officials aiming to bring Northumberland County into the forefront of clean energy production. Funding for the new projects will be the county’s anthracite coal royalties.