Aug. 12--PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- PORT ST. JOE -- Whether Port St. Joe should become home to a renewable energy center will be the topic of conversation tonight at a public information meeting.

The proposed plant, headed by Atlanta-based Biomass Gas & Electric(BG&E),would burn wood chips, fast-growing grasses and forest residue, then convert them into gas to produce electricity.

The energy center, which would be called Northwest Florida Renewable Energy Center, is part of a larger initiative on both the state and national level to reduce energy dependency on fossil fuels. For example, in addition to the Obama administration's plans for energy legislation, Gov. Charlie Christ has called for 20 percent of Florida's future energy needs to come from renewable sources.

If approved for permitting, construction of the plant should take about 18 months, and the plant would employ roughly 25 people once operational, which should be in mid-2011, said S. Glenn Farris, president and CEO of BG&E.

The energy center's history includes a bit of controversy, as the center originally was planned for Tallahassee. Most of the opposition in that area was where the plant was to be built and the potential for air pollution. However, the Department of Environmental Protection indicated the potential for toxic chemical compounds resulting from manufacturing is "extremely low," according to a spokeswoman.

The proposed location in Port St. Joe has been less controversial, although some opposition or at least questioning can be expected with any new major project. Renewable energy is a fairly new industry, which lends itself to debate, said Ed Nelson, the Gulf County director of economic development.

However, Nelson said he is concerned that most of the opposition is from outsiders.

"All of the unrest seems to be coming from outside of the community," Nelson said.

Nelson, who said he hasn't found anything to convince him the plant isn't a good idea, said opposition and debate encourages people to want to seek out the truth. He said he thinks the public information meeting will be a good opportunity for them to do so.

In addition to the current political and social attractiveness of renewable energy, there are economic factors causing some local officials to tout the energy plant.

"We need the jobs in the community," Nelson said. Other companies will follow this energy center, and the benefits will be far-reaching, he said.

Port St. Joe Mayor Mel Magidson Jr. said he has kept an open mind about the project and so far, unless he finds new information, he thinks it is both safe for residents and the environment and also an economically appealing endeavor. Magidson said he looks forward to hearing from the experts at tonight's meeting and trusts they will know the ultimate impact scenarios, both economically and environmentally.

Magidson added the city of Port St. Joe has had a long history of industry, alluding to the paper mill and the Arizona Chemical Company. "We're not afraid of industry; we welcome it."

Tim Croft of Florida Freedom Newspapers contributed to this story.

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