By JONATHAN GANCI
LANSING — Optimistic plans for biomass plants in the state are largely on hold, leaving the expansion of a highly publicized renewable energy source up in the air.
Proposals to add to the existing seven commercial biomass plants, which use organic matter to produce energy, have faced problems ranging from public backlash to funding to concerns about fuel supplies, causing projects to be shelved or delayed.
Last year, a plan to build a biomass plant in Traverse City was thrown out after fierce public complaints about uncertainties regarding pollution and deforestation.
However, one plant is close to breaking ground.
The Frontier Renewable Resources plant in Kinross Township in the Upper Peninsula, which will use wood to produce cellulose ethanol, is expected to start construction by mid-summer, according to Kevin Korpi who represents the plant.
Korpi, who is the executive director of the Michigan Forest Products Council, said the facility will bring jobs to the area.
“Frontier will create 70 full-time jobs, 150 construction jobs and approximately 700 indirect or spin-off jobs once the plant is fully operational.”
However, the path for other plants has been rockier.
According to Gary Melow, director of Michigan Biomass in Ithaca, some projects have been put aside because of the unknown effects of increasing the number of biomass facilities in the state.
“We have to ask if there is enough wood to go around, what is the carbon footprint of that wood and how will it be regulated,” Melow said.
Melow said those questions mean high risk for investors.
“It presents an enormous amount of uncertainty within the marketplace where investors are hesitant to invest in biomass energy facilities because we don’t know where the questions about biomass are going.”
The current commercial plants are in Cadillac, Grayling, Flint, Hillman, Lincoln, McBain and L’Anse.
Melow, whose organization advocates for six of the seven commercial plants in the state, said that increase demand for waste products to make energy has also stalled plant openings.
According to Melow, plants formerly paid only for collection and handling of material from waste-generating companies. But with new incentives for renewable energy, the waste itself has gained value, changing the economic model.
Melow said that questions remain about whether wood waste, the state’s most abundant source of waste matter, would be a sustainable source of fuel in the economic model.
“We don’t know yet if it’s economically or environmentally feasible to harvest biomass materials specifically for energy,” Melow said.
Tania Howard, the Michigan Biomass Energy Program coordinator, said that because 63 percent of the state’s forest are privately owned, biomass companies don’t have unlimited access to them.
The Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth Operates the program.
Howard said that restricted access would protect forests from deforestation.
Even with an unlimited wood supply, companies would have an interest in avoiding deforestation. “No business wants to kill their resource. Right now there is a lot of current focus on sustainable forest management,” Howard said.
Korpi said the Kinross plant will follow sustainable practices by using material that’s not being used in the marketplace today.
“We’re not taking material away from higher-value use,” Korpi said. “And we’re certainly not taking material away to sap the nutrients.”
And Howard said that while breaking ground for new plants is tough in the current economic climate, the public needs to be educated on how biomass companies work, especially in areas rich with resources.
“For biomass to remain viable, we not only have to make sure that companies have a solid business plan and financing in place, but the public outreach component has to be better,” she said.
According to Howard, biomass plants have potential and to be part of a comprehensive renewable energy plan for the state. “We need to keep moving in every direction so we have flexibility in all renewable options.”
I agree with Paul. I have not yet seen a plan for ‘sustainability’. No talk about regeneration, reinvestment into the forest system. Again we are seeing industry ‘taking’ from our public lands with little in return. Don’t missunderstand I am a fan of biofuels and believe it can be sustainable, the reports I have seen apear to be short sighted and potentially hazardous to our forest systems. I have not yet seen any ‘study’ as to the true benefit ie: amounts of petroleum use to harvest, transport, refine to production return.
Hey All,
My family and history go back to the UP (along with Bennett and Pillsbury). Our motto is SUSTAINABILITY, and everyone at believes in that.
We have some of the best minds at work; providing jobs, sustainable resources and keeping with the ethos of the area.
I’m incredibly proud of what JML and partners is doing. You in the UP and Iron Range should be too.
Regards,
DR Longyear
My biggest concern is what happens to the forest soil when the “slash” is removed and used for biomass production. First, on sloping land what will hold the disturbed soil in place and not allow wind and water erosion to occur? Will we just allow erosion gullies to shunt soil into rivulets, creeks, streams and rivers, suffocating aquatic life and creating flood prone water courses? Too much of that is occurring now from Man’s activities. Second, where will the soil get a recharge of nutrients to produce the next crop of healthy trees? Will we resort to using petroleum based fertilizers or human and animal wastes, which defeats the purpose of biomass use and also contributes to stream and lake over-enrichment? I agree that mill waste or culturing a crop of switch grass or other fast growing non-food plants is an appropriate source. But, how many biomass using energy plants will that supply? How much public money will be wasted on capital investments that could create havoc upstream?
As to clear cuts, there is nothing inherently wrong with them. Some tree species need open space to regenerate a succeeding forest, as in aspen and jackpine. Also, young regrowing aspen stands have the greatest diversity and abundance of other plant and animal life in a particular ecosystem. Thick young aspen stands provide shelter and food for a myriad of critters from microscopic to bear, deer, moose, etc.
Are biomass plants the reason that the state is now clear-cutting so much of our state forests? You can look on Google-Earth and see a crazy patchwork of 10-acre clearcuts west of Oscoda, north of the AuSable River, and up near Rogers City, just as examples.