http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120824/OPINION02/708249964
Published August 24, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Wood plant still a bad idea
The revised proposal for the biomass plant in North Springfield is an improvement over the original, but is still a bad proposal. It is not worth the 30 permanent jobs it will bring to Springfield.
The problem with using wood to generate electricity is that it is still doing the same thing as coal and natural gas power plants. It’s burning something. It produces air pollution, some of which is worse than coal. It puts more carbon into the atmosphere initially and adds to global warming. Add to that the diesel fuel pollution required to harvest, chip and transport all those wood chips.
All this and it is only 25 percent efficient. My EPA-certified woodstove fireplace insert is 60 percent efficient. Pellet stoves are better yet. With adding heat generation, the North Springfield plant creeps up to 34 percent efficient. After careful study, Massachusetts has now decided that biomass plants must be at least 50 percent efficient to qualify as renewable energy.
Burning wood to generate electricity is renewable only in the long term. It takes time for trees to re-grow. This is unlike wind, solar, water, and geothermal which are instantly and continuously renewable.
Nor is it clear that harvesting hundreds of cords a day to feed a biomass plant is sustainable. Some recent studies question how much biomass harvesting our forests can sustain.
It is a pity that Mr. Winstanley did not stick with his initial idea to build a solar array (mentioned in an early news report). Apparently, that cost too much and had too little profit. I could have supported a solar array for electricity, and biomass for heat and industrial hot water. That would help provide our community with clean energy, and provide for industrial development that is not as noisy, ugly and polluting as this biomass plant.
ELEANOR RICE
Springfield
Eleanor, why didn't you protest the installation of biomass systems in our schools if you are so against them. There are biomass systems at Elm Hill, Union Street, and the high school.
ReplyDeleteWhy wasn't there such an uproar about those biomass systems.
--you can not compare the less than one meg heating system to a massive Electrical producing plant--that is off base totaly and shows your complete ignorance!!! you need to educate yourself--honestly or don't respond. One is heat and highly efficient one is electrical generation and totally inefficient (35% to be exact) Thanks Eleanor--you are correct in your analysis
DeleteAs bad as the proposed Vermont wood burning biomass proposals are for air quality, global warming
ReplyDeleteemissions and forest impacts, another very counterproductive aspect is that by re-branding this dirty
technology “green”, biomass is eligible for literally hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funded
public subsidies. Considering how scarce public funds are, and how dirty wood burning is, it is irrational that the public is being forced to pay “clean” energy subsidies for tree-fueled biomass projects which can arguably be called one of the dirtiest forms of energy that exists.
www.maforests.org/VermontBiomassBiomess.pdf
Springfield High School Announces New Course Curriculum In Preparation For A Career At The BioMass Plant
ReplyDeleteSchool officials announced today that it is providing a training program for students that desire to seek high paying careers at the North Springfield energy plant. Upon successful completion of the course curriculum students will be given a Certificate of Completion and a shovel. The following courses will be available for students to sign up for:
1. How to put da wood in de fire.
2. Cleaning the smoke stacks and why it must always be done under the cover of darkness.
3. Proper fitting and wearing of face masks.
4. How to count wood delivery trucks and make sure the number always matches what you are told it will be.
5. Why Global Warming is a hoax and the burning of the forests is a natural phenomena.
6. Why gases like carbon-dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide which are emitted into the atmosphere during biomass production that damage the ozone layer are a good thing.
7. Why deforestation is a good thing.
8. Why asthmatics don't live here anymore and reasons you should not concern yourself.
9. Why making an entire area smell like everyone has a campfire burning can be a good thing.
10. Having spots on your lungs can be exciting.
11. How to apply for disability payments.
you got it.
DeleteWhat a shame springfield didn't court other business like Bellows Falls has done having a minnesota based solar furnace manufacturer who now wants to come into BF and set up a factory there for their "green" technology. Instead we had morons who courted a less than efficient "green labeled" business entity that has the potential to eventually pollute more than contribute.
ReplyDeleteYet again, we are behind the eight ball and other localities have outdone us again. You can read the article on the BF business in yesterdays (8/24/12 issue of eagle times. What a shame for us AGAIN!
look up solar furnace on Ebay
Deletewhen you find out what a solar furnace is and what they cost and how much heat you get you won't mind this company in BF in fact you might want them to go back to Minnesota.
You can build one yourself for under $150
Solar furnaces are also made for sale at Ebay, some are made with soda cans for very little $ . Beer cans work too and make building one fun and FREE.
They should teach this in school.\\
What a shame for all it is not.
The above drivel was brought to you by Springfield Malaise - where no news is good news and progress must always be a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteWait to they hear about the tax incentives that were offered to this minnesota based solar furnace company.
DeleteThe proper way to evaluate the overall environmental impact that this plant will haveon the community is to do what is called a "Life Cycle Analysis". One company that does such intensive studies is Life Cycle Associates, LLC in Portola, California. Until this type of independent study is performed, nobody really knows or understands the true impact that this facility will have on the town of Springfield. I suspect, however, that the results will be very favorable in terms of environmental impact. State of the art scrubbers will be used to remove particulate matter from the smokestacks and the air permit will determine how many tons of CO2 and VOC's can be emitted into the air. Any violation of this air permit will directly affect the plants ability to operate. In other woeds, there will be environmental regulations that need to be followed....or else. Until such study hs been completed the people of Springfield need to be better informed before they rush to judgement.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of studies already done that show that this type of biomass plant is an extremely dirty, environmental hazard. The project and ongoing energy production are financially unable to be built and continue to operate without a flow of constant taxpayer funds. The out-of-state owners will get to reap the financial benefits at the expense of the taxpayers without having to inhale the polluted air. Heck they can't even build an access road with expecting most of the bill to be paid by federal and state money.
DeleteMass, as of Friday has instituted stricter rules around biomass plants (see Wall Street Journal)--Vermont is soon to follow. These new rules decrease incentives because it has finally been realized--they are not so green after all--in fact worse than coal.
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