MILLINOCKET (AP) – After looking for years to attract new industry, Millinocket is considering the formation of a public utility that would serve the town and perhaps the entire Katahdin region.

Town Council members plan Thursday to visit Madison, another paper mill town that is now home to a 27-acre greenhouse that employs 130 full-time workers. One of the reasons that Backyard Farms chose to locate there was the presence of Madison Electric Works, a public utility that offers some of the region’s lowest rates.

Millinocket Councilor Michael Madore says Madison’s example could be a blueprint for success in his town.

But Joy Hikel, Madison’s economic development director, notes that her town’s public utility was created in the late 19th century. Hikel said duplicating that process today would be a massive undertaking and raises questions about affordability.