Laidlaw Energy Group, Inc.(fka LLEG)

[discreet_suffolk]

BLOG UPDATE #2 ! ! ! !!

Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wood making a comeback as power source?

I find it funny how people are just starting to recognize that you can make energy from biomass considering that along with hydro power it is the most prevalent form of renewable energy in the US and globally. The thing that bugs me about these articles is that they often assume all the plants proposed are going to be built, thus resulting in adverse consequences on our forests.

The financial markets are an effective policing mechanism when it comes to this concern because only plants that can demonstrate adequate fuel supply will be financed and it is highly unlikely a lender or investor would finance a second or third biomass plant in an area that already contains a biomass plant because of the risk of creating a bidding war for fuel. If you look at the examples of the biomass plants recently built that are cited in the article, all are using wood or other types of residue.

The notion that biomass plants are going to result in the clear cutting of our forest lands is nothing more than a tactic that is being used and planted in the media by opponents of such plants in order to try to place roadblocks in the path of the construction of new biomass plants.

Update: There was also a really good article in today's NY Times on the biofuel industry. Obviously we still have a long way to go before we have commercial scale biofuel production. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/business/energy-environment/15biofuel.html?ref=todayspaper

http://laidlawenergy.blogspot.com/2009/10/wood-making-comeback-as-power-source.html