Dec 27 2010
Aspen Power is building a plant in Texas that will burn woody debris to make steam that will generate electricity. The $128 million plant in Lufkin will start full operations in spring 2011.
Interest in biomass power plants has gained ground in East Texas that has no wind-power potential but instead has plenty of pine trees. In northwestern Nacogdoches County, a plant capable of powering about 75,000 homes is being erected by the Atlanta-based Southern Company that will sell power to Austin Energy.
Two plants near Woodville and Lindale have received permits from Texas air-pollution regulators earlier this year though construction is yet to begin. A fifth plant near Greenville is waiting for approval. The plants should produce electricity round the clock, unlike wind turbines and solar panels that work only when the weather is right. However, the biomass boom comes at a time when natural gas prices have fallen, raising concerns that electricity costs may fall.
The biomass plants are facing opposition from environmentalists. Neil Carman, the clean air director of the Sierra Club in Texas says he doubts biomass plants are carbon-neutral because that would depend on how long it takes for the trees to grow back. Another point of worry is possible air pollution.
Source: http://www.gilmermirror.com/