New York's Dept. of Environmental Conservation explores forestry residues as biomass for energy

Every year, one million tons of green energy rots on the vast Adirondack forest floor in New York State. Now, the State's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is studying ways to convert that material to a woody biomass fuel. The plan is being supported by conservation organisations and environmental groups, and is part of New York's goal to have 25 per cent of the state's electricity coming from renewables.

The 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 solid biofuel source. The $64,000 award will fund a one-year project to evaluate whether there would be enough potential users in and around the Adirondack Park to make woody biomass a go. Covering around 6.1 million acres (24,000 km²), the Adirondack Park in the Northeast of the state is one of the largest forested state parks in the United States - roughly the size of the state of Vermont. However, more than half of the land is privately owned.

This is an idea we really want to explore. 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 land owners 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. - Pete Grannis, DEC Commissioner

Typically, biomass residues from forestry operations consist 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 gets left behind.

The 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. Also 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:
energy :: sustainability ::biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: logging :: forestry :: residues :: New York ::

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.

"The Northern Forest region of New York contains vast forestry resources that can be responsibly tapped to help meet our energy requirements in an environmentally sound way," Davies said.

The grants were awarded through the U.S. Forest Service’s Wood to Energy 'Jump Start' program.

"These grants are another step for the conservation of the hundreds of thousands of family forests in the Empire State. The future of private forests depends on markets that keep timberland valuable for use other than development," said Anne F. Archie, U.S. Forest Service Northeast Field Representative for State and Private Forestry.

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.

References:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation: DEC Explores Woody Biomass as Alt Energy Source - August 31, 2007.