Environment DEC
From the October 2007 issue
DEC Explores Woody Biomass as an Alternative Energy Source
Woody biomass is processed into wood chips that fuel specially designed furnacesEvery year, one million tons of green energy rots on the Adirondack forest floor. Now, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is studying ways to convert that "woody biomass" material to a fuel. DEC has secured a grant from the U.S. Forest Service to explore the feasibility of converting leftover wood from logging operations on private lands into a fuel source. The $64,000 award will fund a one-year project to evaluate whether there are enough potential users in and around the Adirondack Park to make woody biomass a viable energy source.
Harnessing Local Energy Sources
DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said. "As we look for innovative ways to enhance the economic and environmental health of North Country communities, harnessing locally grown energy sources such as low-grade wood might be part of the answer. Also, the program could help private forest landowners in the Adirondacks find new markets for low-grade wood, contributing to a sustainable economy for the Adirondacks and reducing the region's reliance on fossil fuels."
Typically, this material consists of the tops of hardwood and softwood trees, including maple, birch, beech, white pine, spruce and fir, that logging operations discard. The study would focus only on private lands. Currently, about two million tons of wood chips harvested from private Adirondack lands go into the low-grade wood market as pulp or biofuel. Some of that goes to two cogeneration facilities in the North Country. DEC estimates at least another one-million tons are left behind.
Initially for Medium-scale Energy Users
Potential customers would be community colleges, prisons, other state facilities and additional medium-scale energy users because they have the capacity to store the wood chips. In addition, their heating and cooling systems incorporate the appropriate emissions controls to protect air quality. Currently, these facilities predominately rely on oil for fuel. The study would evaluate interest, storage capabilities, heating systems and engineering concerns. It also would look at whether prospective customers could switch to wood and meet air emissions standards. Plans also include hosting at least two regional workshops.
New York State has set a goal to have 25 percent of its electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2012. Woody biomass is one potential source. Further, State Forester Robert K. Davies said, the project, if successful, could create a synergy between "benefits to the forest and biomass energy." Davies noted that DEC has been providing technical and other assistance to parties involved in the emerging woody biomass industry.
Model of Energy Conservation
The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, which recently helped form a new Adirondack Energy $mart Park Coalition, endorsed the woody biomass feasibility study:
"One of our goals is to make the Adirondacks a model of energy conservation and efficiency with an emphasis on renewable resources. The coalition considers the production of energy from woody biomass to be a critically important component of our vision for the region,'' said David Gibson, executive director of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks.
Related Links:
U. S. Forest Service (leaving DEC's site)
Adirondack Energy $mart Park Coalition (leaving DEC's site)
