Wood chip changes bring questions

Changes to a wood chip-burning power plant proposed for the North Springfield Industrial Park were unveiled this week.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120818/NEWS02/708189886

Published August 18, 2012 in the Rutland Herald Wood chip changes bring questions By Christian Avard Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Changes to a wood chip-burning power plant proposed for the North Springfield Industrial Park were unveiled this week. But even after the presentation by representatives of the North Springfield Sustainable Energy Project (NSSEP), town officials and local residents still had plenty of questions about plant operation. Up to 70 residents and town officials attended the public meeting Thursday night. Adam Winstanley of Winstanley Enterprises described the project proposal — what it would entail and how it would benefit the Springfield community. According to Winstanley, the plant would generate up to 35 megawatts of renewable electricity and provide hot water through a process called cogeneration. The electricity would serve the area and provide hot water at the proposed site and to nearby residents. In the original proposal, NSSEP estimated the plant would use up to 500,000 gallons of water per day for operational purposes. Residents were concerned that NSSEP’s water usage would negatively affect municipal resources. To address the problem, NSSEP will install an air-cooled condenser system. Winstanley said the condenser system would rely less on well usage and rain-capturing systems and reduce water usage by up to 30,000 gallons per day. Other improvements at the plant include a wood chip fuel shelter. Winstanley said it would reduce dust generated at the site, improve the local environment, and leave a smaller environmental footprint. NSSEP is also developing a sustainable forestry program for wood chip usage. Details are still in the works, but Winstanley said they are committed to renewable energy usage and balanced forestry practices. “I think these improvements are significant and we have a much better project to go forward with,” Winstanley said. “The combination of renewable power and hot water can attract businesses to the area.” Select Board Chairman Kristi Morris asked if on-site wood chipping would create noise pollution in the local area. According to NSSEP’s Dan Ingold, the group “has no plans” for wood chipping at the plant. Instead, he said, they will seek out local chipping operations to do the job. Selectwoman Stephanie Gibson asked how traffic and operational noise would be minimized, and what the efficiency rate of the wood chip plant would be. Ingold said cogeneration is 34 percent efficient. He said there are always energy losses when raw fuel is converted to electricity. If NSSEP only provided electricity, he said, the plant would run at 25 percent efficiency. “Cogeneration increases that efficiency,” Ingold said. Concerns over operational noise are still under investigation. Ingold said the facility would operate during daylight hours, invest in noise reduction systems, and manage truck traffic. “We believe that good business practice is to not have trucks all come in at once,” Ingold said. “They should be evenly dispersed throughout the weekdays.” Springfield resident Chris Coughlin expressed concern over on-site accidents and its effect on the community. He asked what insurance would be provided to cover the public in case of equipment failure. Coughlin also asked if NSSEP will accept responsibility for “adverse incidents” involving truck traffic. Winstanley said there is no plan to provide insurance coverage to the community and added that he “never heard of such a thing.” He acknowledged traffic accidents can happen, but said NSSEP is committed to developing a safety plan.