Montville — The town made another push Thursday for a planned $100 million biomass conversion at the power plant on Lathrop Road by announcing the formation of a new coalition that will work to support the project.

Coined RenewMontville.org, the coalition's main mission is to urge the state to help the biomass conversion become reality.

It is planned for the NRG Energy Inc.-owned Montville Power LLC. The long-stalled project would turn one of two generation units at the plant from a natural gas and oil-based unit to one that burns clean wood.

The project would add jobs and tax revenue and could possibly help position the plant to avoid a fate similar to AES Thames, the Depot Road coal-fired power plant that closed and left the town without its biggest taxpayer.

Mayor Ronald K. McDaniel Jr. and NRG officials were among those who gathered Thursday morning in a short news conference outside the power plant. They stood in front of 23 plant workers to announce the new coalition.

It consists of town officials, members of the local delegation, the state AFL-CIO and the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, among others.

While NRG has been unsuccessful in finding a company to purchase the power that would be produced by the proposed biomass system, the state could require energy companies to turn to renewable energy projects such as this one.

"This project is the lowest cost for a Class 1 (renewable energy) project proposed to date in the state of Connecticut," McDaniel said in referring to other biomass, solar and wind projects.

Plans call for the biomass generation unit to provide up to 40 megawatts of electricity and have the capability to go to 82 megawatts by using natural gas. A megawatt serves about 1,000 average homes.

NRG officials said the biomass conversion would ensure the 32 workers at the power plant remain employed. NRG spokesman David Gaier also said the project would create 75 construction jobs during the conversion project, anticipated to take a year.

Two hundred other jobs would be created in forestry and logistics/shipping, the company said. The project is deemed shovel-ready and has already cleared the permitting and public hearing process.

NRG is attempting to move away from coal and oil-based operations at many of its plants across the country. The company has reportedly proposed a $700 million plan at its plant in Dunkirk, N.Y., to move to a natural-gas based system in lieu of one powered by coal.

One NRG official said that without the biomass system, the Montville Power station could eventually find itself in a similar situation to AES Thames.

"It's certainly possible," NRG Director of Development Jon Baylor said. "We're facing similar situations in other places in our fleet."

The biomass system will also help the state meet its 2020 mandate to supply 20 percent of all power statewide from renewable energy sources. McDaniel said conversations are ongoing with Daniel Esty, the commissioner of the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

"We need the region and in fact the entire state to get behind this, and let the governor and Commissioner Esty know that this is the right project at the right time," he said.

jeff.johnson@theday.com