By Ben Larson
By installing a wind turbine over a decade ago, Traverse City became a leader in renewable energy. Now, Traverse City can build on its leadership as its utility considers investing in a new power plant that uses wood and crop residues and other "biomass."
Sustainably harvested biomass makes sense given the priority that Traverse City and Michigan rightly place on renewable energy. In addition to Traverse City's own ambitious renewable energy targets, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has a clean energy agenda, and last year Michigan adopted renewable electricity standard requires utilities to obtain 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2015.
Currently, about 60 percent of Michigan's electricity comes from burning coal, which causes acid rain, smog, and a wide range of serious respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. By contrast, burning biomass for electricity, if done well, can cut pollution, reduce the state's dependence on imported coal, and create a new market for state farmers and forest owners.
Modern-day biomass emits fewer toxins than coal and doesn't have as much soot as you may have seen coming from your grandfather's wood stove. Traverse City Light & Power is considering gasification technology, an even cleaner way to use biomass, that significantly reduces the amount of soot and other pollutants released from a plant's smokestack.
In addition to being cleaner than coal ... using certain kinds of biomass for electricity can also reduce heat-trapping carbon emissions. When coal and other fossil fuels are burned, they emit carbon dioxide. ... Using certain kinds of biomass for electricity, however, can reduce carbon emissions.
We need to focus on using biomass resources that clearly reduce net emissions. These types of biomass include:
n Sustainably harvested forest residues, such as the limbs left after logging, which would emit a significant fraction of their carbon upon decay;
n Energy crops that don't crowd out food production, such as switchgrass planted on marginal lands;
n Farm wastes, such as manure and crop residues; and
n Municipal and industrial wastes.
Leading scientists agree that burning these types of biomass do not add to atmospheric levels and thus do not contribute to global warming; in fact, because these low-carbon biomass sources often displace the burning of high-carbon coal, they can reduce carbon emissions significantly.
In addition to starting with the most beneficial biomass resources, we also need to make sure that we harvest woody biomass sustainably without degrading forests. ...
In Michigan, forest owners, foresters, biomass developers, and wildlife and conservation groups are currently developing biomass sustainability guidelines ...
Finally, switching from coal to biomass power would help the state economy. In 2007, Michigan spent $1.4 billion to import coal. By switching to biomass energy, Michigan would keep its energy dollars in the local economy ...
All told, with the right safeguards in place, biomass energy is a clean, secure source of electricity that reduces air and water pollution, helps address global warming, and boosts local economies. Traverse City residents should keep this in mind.
About the author: Ben Larson works on biomass policy as an energy advocate and field manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C.
About the forum: The forum is a periodic column of opinion written by Record-Eagle readers in their areas of interest or expertise. Submissions of 500 words or less may be made by e-mailing letters@record-eagle.com. Please include biographical information and a photo.
