TRAVERSE CITY -- Biomass? Try "biomess."
That's the message Rachel Smolker had for a large crowd gathered to explore the local and statewide ramifications of a wood-burning power plant in Traverse City.
Smolker, a forest researcher and climate advocate, came as a guest of the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council to speak about Traverse City Light & Power's biomass plans.
About 100 people gathered in a conference room at the Traverse Area District Library Monday night as she expressed her concerns. Biomass plants pollute no less than coal facilities, she said, and their proliferation is a significant threat to the nation's forests.
"These facilities are gaping maws just needing to be constantly stuffed with biomass," she said.
Light & Power, which currently uses coal and natural gas for 99 percent of its power, likely would build the plant on a seven-acre parcel off Parsons Road in Traverse City. Officials previously said it would consume about ten truckloads of wood each day.
Communities across the country and around the world need to take pause from a headlong rush into biomass, Smolker said. It's the "low-hanging fruit" of renewable-energy options because it's technologically simple, but it's not always the best option.
"It's happening so fast ... I lie awake at night really very seriously concerned about it because on a global scale, this has taken off very rapidly as so many mandates and incentives for renewable energy are translated into the burning of biomass," she said.
Smolker said much of the push behind biomass operations lies in the premise that they're carbon neutral, meaning they remove as much carbon emissions as they produce.
"The myth of carbon neutrality, that burning wood is carbon neutral, has been carried forward and it has been used very effectively by the industry to promote clean, green energy," she said. "But this myth is cracking wide open right now."
Communities also must understand that biomass plants are popping up around the state and country, meaning wood demand will be that much higher. A plant exists in Cadillac and one could soon be built in Mancelona.
"It's important to keep in mind that it's not just Traverse City, it's not just an issue here," she said. "It's everywhere."
Wood is a weak source of energy, she said, so it's not ideal for fuel.
"You're talking about huge, huge volumes of materials that need to be transported and burned in order ... to get any kind of significant energy," she said.
Because of all this and more, Smolker said, large-scale biomass isn't a good idea.
"It's a colossal mistake to be looking at using plant matter as a substitute for (fossil fuels) in any major scale," she said.
But she's not in favor of fossil fuels, either. Her solution? A renewed focus on energy conservation and reduced consumption.
"I think the reality that we're faced with is we have to be really looking at efficiency and conservation and fundamental changes in how we live and what our expectations are," she said.
Light & Power officials contend they've made no decisions about biomass, and won't do so until after a pair of public forums scheduled for this week. The Light & Power board is expected to hear comments and questions from the public.
Officials said a biomass plant could reduce dependence on out-of-state coal and boost the local economy by creating jobs.
Neither Executive Director Ed Rice nor any Light & Power board members attended NMEAC's Monday forum because they had a meeting with the Traverse City Commission at the same time, but Light & Power marketing manager Jim Cooper was there.
Cooper encouraged everyone in attendance to come to Light & Power's upcoming forums.
"I want to make sure everyone comes Thursday and Saturday ... I want to make sure that you know that this is a public process and we want your input," he said.
Traverse City Light & Power public forums
7:00 p.m. Thursday at the City Opera House
2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Hagerty Center
