Woody Biomass for Renewable Energy

Came across a couple of stories related to using wood for energy.  I thought I would share them with my readers.  Pennsylvania has tremendous potential in this area not only to provide low grade wood from our forests but also to grow more short rotation woody crops on marginal crop land.  Essentially we are looking at using woody biomass to produce heat and power through direct combustion.  This is a great option for small businesses, hospitals, schools and government buildings.

Is Woody Biomass an Economic Elixer?
(Beaverton Valley Times, April 21, 2011)
To hear some tell it, using woody biomass to make energy represents a panacea for many of Oregon’s economic woes. Its political proponents – everyone from the governor down to county commissioners – believe it will help create good jobs, improve forest health, make up for lost timber revenue and provide a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Not everyone is so optimistic.

To read the full story click here.

Firing Up Willows!
(American Agriculturist, May 2011)
Today, close to 1,000 acres of fastgrowing willow are in commercial production in New York, mostly for biomass energy. But the potential is there for many more — a renewable energy industry.

Nurseryman Dennis Rak and Cornell University biomass researcher Larry Smart have a big stake in this budding bioenergy industry. In 2008, Rak began developing the 150-acre Double A Willow nursery, Fredonia, N.Y., with more than 28 willow varieties.
To read the full story click here.