Aug 17 2010
Within weeks from now, the Board of Directors of MID (Modesto Irrigation District) will be making two decisions which will prove to be crucial factors in deciding whether a biomass plant with an investment of $80 million will be built by Valley Bio-Energy in Modesto’s east side.
The plant will be burning wood refuse collected from vineyards, orchards and elsewhere for producing electricity and this would be sold subsequently to the MID. Upon continuous operation, the plant would be generating 30 MW of power, sufficient to meet around 8% of the total demand of MID. This would help MID in achieving its goal of acquiring 33% of its electricity through green sources by the year 2020.
Valley Bio-Energy is hoping to begin construction by 2010 end so that the company qualifies for the federal economic stimulus money which would be covering approximately 30% of the total cost. The MID has estimated that it would begin to receive power by early 2013 from the plant.
Source: http://www.mid.org/