+ All Categories
Home > Documents > Biomass Ppt 1-09

Biomass Ppt 1-09

Date post: 18-Nov-2014
Category:
Upload: necdetdalgic
View: 15 times
Download: 0 times
Share this document with a friend
Popular Tags:
12
Transcript
Page 1: Biomass Ppt 1-09
Page 2: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Producing energy does not have to threaten the environment. In fact, its very production can reap major environmental benefits.

The United States’ biomass power generating industry has a powerful influence over several areas of environmental concern:

• Reducing greenhouse emissions

• Improving air quality

• Protecting our forests

Biomass power plants combust wood waste to produce electricity — waste that would otherwise create adverse environmental impacts.

• Managing waste

Page 3: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Biomass fuels include wood waste such as:

• Urban wood waste like construction wood scraps, broken pallets, clean wood waste from factories and residue from tree trimmers

• Forest waste like small trees and undergrowth cleared from forests for fire suppression and growth enhancement

• Agricultural waste like orchard removals, rice hulls, fruit pits, etc.

Unlike other renewable technologies, biomass plants pay to collect, process and transport its fuels — and are more labor intensive

Biomass power is a reliable, renewable base load electric power source — able to provide a steady flow of power regardless of external conditions

Page 4: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Biomass power now provides over half of America’s renewable “green” electricity, some 8,500 MW a year — reducing our dependence on foreign oil and providing enough electricity to light about 8.5 million American homes

In addition, biomass power generates ten times the number of good-paying jobs found at the typical natural gas-fueled facility

America’s biopower industry provides some 14,000 quality jobs and generates about $1 billion a year for the nation’s economy

Each biomass power plant contributes about $8 – 14 million annually to the local communities where they operate in payroll, purchases and property tax revenue

Page 5: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Improves the Health of Our Forests

• Removing about 68.8 million tons of forest waste annually, reducing the threat of forest fires that endanger lives and property, and contribute to air pollution and GHG emissions

Reduces Criteria Pollutants

• Biomass plants cut criteria pollutants as a result of carefully controlled combustion in biomass boilers

• Diverts about 36.2 million tons of urban wood waste from landfills annually

Provides Waste Disposal Alternatives

Reduces Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

• At least 2 times more effective in reducing GHG emissions than any other type of renewable technology

Page 6: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Biomass Power is Carbon Neutral

• When plants and trees grow they absorb carbon, and when they die they release carbon — as part of nature

Fossil Fuel Power “Creates” New Carbon

• Fossil fuels (which “contain” carbon) are trapped beneath the ground, inaccessible to the atmosphere

• Accessed and used fossil fuels release new carbon into the atmosphere

• When organic matter is used as a fuel, it is utilizing existing carbon — adding no new carbon to the atmosphere — it is carbon neutral

Page 7: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Biomass is at least 2x more effective in reducing GHG emissions than any other type of renewable technology, or nuclear

Biomass Also Provides GHG Reductions

Biomass power plants efficiently combust the methane and eliminate it entirely, emitting all the biomass carbon in the form of CO2.

The amount of biomass in the forest grows or declines over time — sequestering or releasing net carbon to the atmosphere.This balance of carbon matters. How biomass returns to the atmosphere also matters.

Carbon is returned to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Methane is 25 times more potent as a GHG.

All disposal alternatives — open burning, landfilling and decomposing in the open — produce a damaging mix of the two.

Page 8: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions for biomass (and biogass) are “negative” compared to others due to avoidance of landfill disposal and other polluting alternatives

Page 9: Biomass Ppt 1-09

A clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuel plants

• Will help California and other states meet mandated GHG reductions

• Diverting waste from high-emission conventional disposal like landfill disposal and agricultural field burning, actually reduces GHG emissions

Diverts about 36.2 million tons of urban wood waste from landfills each year

Has a net negative impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Page 10: Biomass Ppt 1-09

The biomass power industry grew rapidly during the 1980s and early 1990s

Biomass power generation in the U.S. grew 70% each year between 1990 and 1994 — reaching 59,000 gigawatt-hours in 1994. [American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1997]

More than 100 biomass power plants are connected to the electricity grid in the U.S. today

Biomass energy is growing rapidly and now accounts for 45%of the renewable energy used in the U.S. [NRDC]

Page 11: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Extending the expiring Production Tax Credit (PTC) for existing plants, set to expire 12/31/09

Provide biomass with tax equity or “parity” compared to other renewable technologies

Recognize existing plants in a federal RES and adopt a broad definition of biomass

Eliminate tax exempt financing and other credits discount

Various technical clarifications related to H.R. 1424

Congress should promote our successful biomass industry by:

Page 12: Biomass Ppt 1-09

Recommended