Biomass Digest» World Opinion

The Last Word: “Biomass is much more like hydro—it has a firm capacity—and as a utility, that is what we like.”

Jim Lane — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:35:09 +0000

Senior Biosystems Engineer, Dennis St. George: “There are many attributes that make an energy source functional and one of them is capacity, or the ability to deliver energy when you need to. With our hydro system, if we need to generate more power, it’s nearly an instantaneous process. The problem with wind and solar is that when you get energy is really governed by when they are available. Biomass is much more like hydro—it has a firm capacity—and as a utility, that is what we like.”

Executive Director of Sustain Charlotte, Shannon Binns: “We need to ask ourselves whether these tax credits, which are intended to attract investment in clean sources of renewable energy were intended for projects that bring new smokestacks and additional sources of air pollution to our communities, especially communities like ours that are already unable to meet federal air quality requirements.”

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Opinion: “Expanding the use of biomass is absolutely key to Scotland hitting its targets for renewables.”

Jim Lane — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:41:46 +0000

Niall Stuart, CEO of Scottish Renewables Agency: “Expanding the use of biomass is absolutely key to Scotland hitting its targets for renewables and could make a massive cut in CO2 emissions for the way we heat and power homes and businesses. This report confirms what the industry has been saying for some time that these benefits do not come at the cost of poorer air quality in our towns and cities. Biomass is one way of increasing our energy security and keeping bills low for consumers. This report again scotches some of the myths that have been expanded about potential impact on air quality.”

Rakesh Agrawal, Researcher and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University: “Biomass grown on land and subsequently converted to biofuel offers a solution to meet the large demand for liquid fuels. However, the limited land available to grow biomass in a sustainable manner implies that in order to meet the large demand, the available biomass must be efficiently converted to biofuel.”

Opinion: “You have to manage the land so it actually ends up growing trees”

Jim Lane — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:16:40 +0000

President of Emerson Process Management, Steve Sonnenberg: “Biomass-to-energy conversion is the fastest-growing segment of the energy business. Faced with high energy costs and environmental goals, our customers recognize they can retrofit decades-old plants to convert their own waste streams into environmentally friendly and low-cost sources of power, which is a plus to both the environment and their bottom line.”

Principal with Good Company, Oregon, Joshua Skov: “If you’re going to say biomass is carbon neutral, then you have to be concerned about the way we manage land. You have to manage the land so it actually ends up growing trees.”

Hakuna Matata – to worry or not to worry about the policies of biomass

Jim Lane — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:03:13 +0000

Paul Hodson, Deputy Head of Unit, DG ENER, European Commission, opined recently that there are no reasons to worry about the future of biomass within the overall transition to a low-carbon society. “Without biomass,” he said, “you can’t write a de-carbonized story. It’s just not possible.”

Ah, no reasons to worry. As in, Hakuna matata. She’ll be apples, matey.

But we get a slightly less rosy picture from those in the business of financing biomass. Paul Battelle, Deutsche Bank director of renewable energy financing: “Historically, power and energy projects that have undertaken unhedged commodity risk such as electricity price risk and biofuel related price risks have performed poorly for banks. We like green certificates, but especially feed-in tariffs, as they have historically offered good certainty.”

So, perhaps there’s a little too much hakuna in our previous matata. Both Batelle and Hodson share an interest in the “sure thing” – one in the post-carbon society, the other in the making of money. Nothing wrong in that – just doing their respective jobs – one looking after the future of the planet, one looking after the money to pay for it. It’s self-interest at work.

But there are more actors than policy makers and bankers in the world of biomass and power. For example, there are the farmers. Where are they?

Bette Jean Crews, Ontario Federation of Agriculture president, articulates: “Until Ontario Power Generation says they are actually going to buy it, and what they are going to pay for it, farmers need that information before they can do the math and see whether they can afford to grow it.”

Ah, chicken and the egg. “We’ll plan to grow it if you buy it, and you’ll plan to buy it if we agree to grow it.” It’s more than self-interest at work, of course – its the survival instinct. Absent a market maker, buyers and sellers struggle to make transactions, become nervous, and stall.

Even amongst those who have vision to pioneer, there are challenges and reasons for hesitation.

In the UK, the country’s largest power station Drax ahas announced plans that it will convert one of its boilers to biomass. Though the coal-based plant has been co-fired with biomass for the past seven years, converting a single boiler to completely biomass could reduce the carbon dioxide from the plant by 4.4 million metric tons a year, the equivalent to taking 1.2 million cars off the road.

If the experiment goes well, Drax may look at converting its other five boilers to biomass as well. The company says the government’s lack of subsidies for biomass power is hindering the industry’s transition to greener fuels.

The lesson? Biomass is a value-chain of many actors, and renewable energy as a whole involves far more than a mandate. What is required is the catalyst that certainty brings, and certainty flows from solid partnerships and certainty begins with policy stability. That stimulates the utility, who in terms gives the certainty to the feedstock provider and the technology vendor.

Those who have the broadest capital or social base have the obligation to create the rules of engagement by which any new technology is adopted. Let us not forget that the government did more than subsidize the internet, it picked up every dime of the tab for development and deployment for a quarter century. Having been initially funded in 1966, it was commercialized in 1991, and gained traction within just a few years after that.

Where would we be without the internet? Better to ask where would we be without the policy stability that created it? Nowhere, that’s where, despite any well expressed thoughts on the internet’s inevitability from any quarter, EU or otherwise, or any other technology platform, like renewables, that has the power to transform society.

It takes a village to raise a child, and policy writ in 20-year increments to raise a platform. One that is in place, well may we say Hakuna Matata, and not before.

Opinion: “Anyone who says coal is better than wood has not looked at data”

Jim Lane — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:49:28 +0000

The Washington Post Opinion Page: “Any biomass that qualifies as ‘renewable’ or ‘clean’ should significantly reduce emissions relative to natural gas. That calculation must honestly account for land-use changes attributable to the harvesting of biomass.”

Curt Felix, CEO, Plankton Power: “Anyone who says coal is better than wood has not looked at data on mercury, cadmium, particulates and wood vs. coal mining deaths. This is a joke, but unfortunately part of a public hysteria that thwarts real progress on energy independence, reduced air toxics and global warming. The Manomet study is junk science and only one report against thousands that have evaluated coal and wood emissions over the last 20 years.”

Opinion: “[The government is] threatening to destroy an industry that adds economic value”

Jim Lane — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:41:20 +0000

Traverse City Light & Power board Chairman Mike Coco: “We’ve listened to many of our ratepayers tell us they don’t know enough about biomass and some have suggested they are more comfortable with natural gas as a power generation resource, even though natural gas is not a renewable energy.”

Alastair Kerr, director general of the UK’s Wood Panel Industries Federation: “The Government is putting too great an emphasis on large scale wood-fired electricity and, by subsidising generators’ ability to pay for fuel, they are threatening to destroy an industry that adds economic value and brings environmental benefit through carbon storage.”

Opinion: “America’s 21st Century reliable, low-cost energy needs are not going to be met by electricity produced by a windmill, a controlled bonfire and a few solar panels.”

Jim Lane — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:31:45 +0000

Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of Biomass Power Association: “The [Environment Working Group] study has no relevance to how biomass power is generated in this country today and no relevance to how it will be generated in the foreseeable future.”

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tn.): “Solar, wind and biomass are an important supplement, but America’s 21st Century reliable, low-cost energy needs are not going to be met by electricity produced by a windmill, a controlled bonfire and a few solar panels.”

Opinion: “The administration’s heart is in the right place in terms of promoting biomass.”

Meghan Sapp — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:42:18 +0000

Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of the Biomass Power Association: “We think the administration’s heart is in the right place in terms of promoting biomass, but it has to adopt rules that are fair and reasonable at home or there is no future for this technology. In fact, we’re going to take a step backward.”

Robert Findlen, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Telles Corporation: “If the bioplastics industry grows to be 10% of the traditional plastics industry, then around 100 billion pounds of starch will be necessary, and there is no question that that will have an effect on agricultural commodities.”

Opinion: “Overwrought opponents conjure nightmare images of state forests clear-cut into oblivion.”

Meghan Sapp — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:04:29 +0000

Andy Cox, Partner with KPMG’s Energy and Natural Resources: “Biomass plants have the potential to yield much higher returns than other renewable sources. A well-executed biomass plant can deliver substantially greater economies of scale than wind, and the heat generated from incineration can supply neighboring buildings, creating another revenue stream.”

The Berkshire Eagle: “Overwrought opponents conjure nightmare images of state forests clear-cut into oblivion to feed biomass plants even though such behavior would result in the plants putting themselves out of business. This also fails to take into consideration the strict regulations already in place to protect forests and regulate biomass plants.”