Electric cars powered by the burning of biomass would “average 81% more transportation kilometers and 108% more emissions offsets per unit area cropland than cellulosic ethanol” according to a recent study, and climate science guru James Hansen has declared implementation of biomass crucial to combating climate change, but those endorsements won’t make a bit of difference if few bio-electricity plants are built due to pollution and sustainability concerns.
At least that’s the state of play here in Massachusetts, where 5 biomass plants are proposed and face big hurdles. Two are further along than the rest: Russell Biomass proposes a 50 MW plant along the Westfield River in the south-central part of the state, and Pioneer Renewable Energy is proposing a 47 MW plant just east of Greenfield, Mass., near the Vermont border.
Western Massachusetts is an environmentally-minded region rich with wood resources (it’s 70% trees), yet each proposal has attracted notable grassroots opposition, and for some good reasons. Russell’s proposal is being opposed due to disputes over siting, pollution, and large water withdrawals from the Westfield, as outlined by Concerned Citizens of Russell. The Greenfield plant is opposed by a broad coalition of individuals, 450 of which packed a zoning board hearing recently, on pollution, trucking, and sustainabiiity questions.
In 2002 Massachusetts adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to encourage the generation of clean, renewable electricity in the state using indigenous resources such as wind, solar, and biomass. Under this legislation, Massachusetts must generate 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by the year 2025. Which explains the state’s enthusiastic support for these projects.
A resource assessment performed as part of the Massachusetts Sustainable Forest Bioenergy Initiative found that there is enough sustainable, harvestable wood within the state to meet the needs of a 150 MW facility. In their words, “Early studies indicate that as much as 4 million tons of woody biomass could be produced annually in Massachusetts, mostly from forests and forest products industries. Utilizing only half that volume for the production of electricity would represent an estimated 150 MW of renewable generation, and substantial rural economic development associated with the fuel supply.”
So by their own math, 5 plants at 50 MW would exceed the sustainable wood supply. Presumably wood would also be imported? Another point of confusion for many citizens is if trees fix carbon, why do we want to burn so many for energy? While these questions could be adequately answered or at least attempted, the state has done itself no favors in terms of providing answers, and worse, recently put its foot in its mouth: asked at a recent hearing, a state forester admitted that they lack a definition or a sense of what “sustainable harvest” would look like.
The state also stumbled by approving Pioneer’s Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review without requiring an environmental impact report on the effects of the operation. Certainly, an examination of air pollution, particulates, trucking, and sustainable supply should be undertaken: so says a citizens’ group that has now served the secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs with an intent to sue on this issue.
The proposals would be more palatable at least if they planned to capture heat for district heating or industrial use, but despite some rhetoric from the project proponets seemingly indicating a willingness, the reality appears to be that these plants will be focused solely on producing electricity, putting them at a very low efficiency rating (20 percent by many estimates vs 80 percent for combined heat and power) in terms of getting full value from the available BTUs of the feedstock. In the words of one opponent, “use the resource wisely or not at all.”
Certainly biomass can be done right, generating both heat and power and at a community scale. A hospital in the city of Northampton, between Russell and Greenfield, has a biomass plant, but the scale is much more appropriate.
And that’s what it boils down to in cases like this too often. Too much money is at stake to create sensible, appropriate projects, “renewable” or not, when there are shareholders to pay.
Ask Umbra on ditching dirty things
Environmental education in Guinea Bissau
Do we need nuclear and coal plants for baseload power?
Comments
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Erik Hoffner Posted 6:16 am
26 Jun 2009
study of weightier issues -- like global warming and forestry practices
-- that lie behind concerns about wood-burning power plants like a
47-megawatt generator proposed for Greenfield.Citing public concerns raised about the environmental impact of
those projects on air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and forests,
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles is calling for
public comments on what the scope should be for such a sweeping review.The
state plans to use the ''white paper'' to develop a ''sustainability
requirement'' for electricity generated from woody crops and forest
products under the its Renewable Portfolio Standard."http://www.recorder.com/story.cfm?id_no=20080526351Erik, Orion Grassroots Network
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Erik Hoffner Posted 10:25 am
26 Jun 2009
today is a tiny paragraph that touches the federal forests covering a
quarter of Oregon.It says these lands, that already give us trails
to hike and clean water to drink, can provide renewable power for our
toasters while helping to replace long-gone lumbering jobs. "We fought very vigorously to get this in," said
Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., of the provision on energy from biomass --
those branches and small trees that loggers once left behind. "It's
essential to help save thousands of jobs in our area."http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/06/power_lurks_in_oregon_forests.html
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Mary C. Serreze Posted 11:10 am
08 Jul 2009
Massachusetts state environmental officials, in chorus with project developers, refer to the woody biomass plants planned for the western part of the state as "carbon-neutral" solutions. You are right, Eric, the numbers in Massachusetts do not add up. These plants will require a tripling of logging in the state, and will emit more CO2 per unit of energy produced than coal. Check out the documentation here.
Margaret Sheehan is an environmental lawyer who is representing citizens who are fighting these plants in western Mass. On the national level, she is working to amend climate legislation to remove green energy subsidies for CO2-rich
incineration. Here's her site.
Western Massachusetts needs the support of the national environmental community. We love our forests and don't want to become a center of greenhouse gas pollution under the guise of "clean energy."
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deep mountain Posted 7:48 pm
29 Jul 2009
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Mary C. Serreze Posted 9:48 am
30 Jul 2009
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Erik Hoffner Posted 8:55 am
05 Aug 2009
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Mary C. Serreze Posted 9:23 am
05 Aug 2009
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isaacschumann Posted 11:11 am
03 Nov 2009
unless the source of biomass is a waste stream, renewable energy from biomass doesnt make alot of sense. i work in the field and our company promotes small, efficient biorefineries built to capture and convert waste streams. doing so makes them far less attractive to investors, who are looking for scale and profits. the government should stop its support for biomass projects that do not use waste material as a feedstock, as anything that is specifically grown to be used for energy will conflict with agricultural markets and food prices and cause even more deforestation and CO2 to be emitted. it should be seen more like recycling than growing our own fuel.
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Erik Hoffner Posted 8:35 am
05 Nov 2009
What kinds of waste streams is your company taking advantage of, and how clean do you think they are?
Erik, Orion Grassroots Network
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charmingirl Posted 9:11 am
13 Nov 2009
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