Is Bioenergy in Scott Valley's Future?

Part 2: Bioenergy in Our Backyard---the Local Challenge
By Ric Costales

Second in a three-part series

All of the "easy" uses of biomass such as human food, animal feed and wood products have been the bulwark of our local economy. This natural resource production has also provided the glue that has bonded our communities together and gave Scott Valley its rural feel.

In the last two decades or so, due to a variety of complex factors, Scott Valley has joined the rest of rural America in the stagnation of its local resource economy. This has placed significant stress on its cultural fabric. For example, the local schools are nearly at a crisis point for lack of students due to the fact that few good paying jobs are available locally for families with school age children.

Like the rest of rural America, we are seeking a shot in the arm that will restore our once vibrant communities. We have some major help in this quest.

Our Federal Partners

At a recent conference in Denver on bioenergy, the Departments of Agriculture, Interior and Energy unveiled a recent Memo of Understanding. The MOU documented the Bush Administration¹s commitment to developing renewable energy as a means to revitalize rural economies while reinvigorating unhealthy federal forests and making forests and their human communities resistant to catastrophic wildfire.

The National Fire Plan and the Healthy Forest Initiative were designed to expedite management for fire and forest health on lands overseen by the Forest Service (Agriculture) and the BLM (Interior). The Dept. of Energy is contributing through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to research key technological issues related to the utilization of biomass for energy production. In addition, all three departments have been funding various projects designed to combine renewable energy development with federal land management challenges.

Recently, Scott Valley was the recipient of one of these projects. The USFS and OreCal RC&D combined to secure $20,000 in funding for the initial study phase for a local biomass gasification heating facility. This project will select appropriate technology, resolve supply issues and investigate siting concerns (permitting, etc.). Later phases, if funding can be secured, will deal with construction and operation. (See March 14 Pioneer Press)

In partnering with the federal government, Scott Valley joins many communities across the nation that are in the vanguard of the effort to expand the domestic supply of energy. While the experiences of these other communities are somewhat helpful, the complex array of economics, culture, technology and biomass make each project virtually unique. It has so often been said that each community must identify its own vision, resources, challenges and solutions, that this cliche might as well be the First Law of Biomass Development.

Though it would take a sizeable report to detail the issues related to developing local bioenergy resources, the following key points deserve discussion:

Technology Selection

There are several classes and subclasses of bioenergy production. You can incinerate, gasify or pyrolize the biomass fuel. With incineration, you can use the heat to make steam to run a turbine. In gasification and pyrolization you generate flammable gases. You can burn these gases to generate steam or use them as fuel for internal combustion engines for various chores such as running pumps, generators and even farm tractors!

In addition, biomass can be broken down into sugars and fermented into ethanol. Though more difficult to process than cellulose-based farm crops such as grain, even woody biomass can be converted into ethanol. Ethanol can then be used as fuel for the engines in cars, trucks and stationary power units.

In short, there is an abundance of functional bioenergy technologies. Which choice is best suited for Scott Valley, however, depends other factors. For example, how large a facility will meet with public support? As some uses such as steam turbines are suited only for heavy industrial application, it is unlikely that we would choose such a high-impact technology.

Air quality is another issue. Some bioenergy technologies are virtually "spotless," while others, though complying with California standards, result in objectionable emissions such as steam plumes.

In weighing the multitude of concerns affecting the selection of bioenergy technology, the currently funded USFS/OreCal grant chose gasification. Gasification was chosen because of its efficiency, cleanliness and adaptability to small-scale heat and power applications. Since gasification of woody biomass has been used in everything from running automobiles to generators to home-size power plants, it seems like a good choice for our far-flung population.

Biomass Supply

Arguably the most crucial factor in the development of biomass, is the issue of supply. The questions of what to use, how to get it, how much there is and what it will cost must be part of the planning process. Projects are often made or broken on supply issues.

Two factors significantly affect our local supply issue. The first is that productive use is already made of our existing agricultural land. The second, and perhaps most important, is that longtime local concerns about catastrophic wildfire and forest health on federal lands have now become urgent issues for state and federal agencies.

As a result, woody biomass is the fuel of choice. Happily, it is the source that is also most plentiful, perhaps growing faster than we could possibly use. Even better, local resources already exist to harvest it sustainably and economically. Unfortunately, the vast majority of it may be out of reach.

The Scott Valley watershed is over half a million acres. More than two-thirds of this land is federally managed. Because of environmental regulation, a Byzantine administrative process and seemingly endless litigation, federal land managers have been unable to accomplish significant progress on forest health and fire issues. With recent rule revisions and legislation, this hopefully may be about to change.

Whether changes are made or not, however, biomass supply from the vast majority of Scott Valley¹s watershed will always be something of a wild card. Just as likely public resistance to a heavy industrial facility argues for moderate development, the uncertainty of supply from federal lands demands prudence in sizing and selecting bioenergy technology. Local biomass utilization must be designed to be able to expand and contract to meet availability without bankrupting the project if federal lands are taken off the playing field.

Finance

Like supply, this is one of the Biggies. The state of the various bioenergy technologies and energy markets is such that these projects carry a high degree of risk. Coupled with tight financial markets and spiraling government deficits, the financing of bioenergy projects is a daunting task.

Nevertheless, it has frequently been done successfully and with increasing regularity. Like all other aspects of biomass development, it takes creativity and a determination on the part of many varied local interests. Rare is the project where a single business takes a flier on bioenergy.

Rather, a diverse array of stakeholders usually recognizes the many benefits of bioenergy that can¹t be easily quantified in dollars and cents. Such groups then proceed with a stout will and tin cup in hand seeking grants, investors, donations and any sort of help that will make the project a reality. The rewards can be great in satisfaction as well as capital.

Local Fire Safe Councils, government agencies, environmental organizations, service organizations, schools, communities, financial institutions, timber companies, you name it, we all have a stake in healthy forests, fire safe communities and helping make the United States more energy independent. Bioenergy can help accomplish these goals.

Next installment: Gasification---Abundant, clean, adaptable energy

Note: A workshop on Bioenergy sponsored by the Scott River Watershed Council will be held Saturday, April 3 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Scott Valley Grange in Greenview. Lunch will be provided.

Biomass Press Release #1

Biomass Press Release #3

Biomass Fact Sheet