Not at all. I'm simply stating that Laidlaw's size and urgency has paled by comparison by this influx and it was interesting to see in testimony how Gary Long and Dr. Shapiro didn't want to go into any detail on the impacts these other projects stand to have immediately on Berlin while they were quite specific as to the economic enhancements significantly fewer direct jobs could have on the area.
It has also become part of the record that Berlin's "woe is me" approach that has been used by many to describe the saving grace that Laidlaw provides is being looked at in its appropriate light for the first time now that facts have been disclosed about a 75 million payroll outside of the Laidlaw project coming to Berlin immediately. We all need to face a few facts; The coos loop can only handle so much power without an upgrade and Noble/Brookfield is shooting for completion this year which may force an upgrade to the loop beyond their usage. And everyone is in agreement that there is only so much wood available. Though there may be argument over how much wood is available no one is stating that there is an infinite supply. While this increased usage is being asked for, NH municipalities, other businesses, schools, universities, hospitals and homeowners are looking into the burning of biomass as well. Certainly on a much smaller scale, but all combined, NH wood users add to the necessary wood basket.
A fallacy also has been made that because the mills that closed consumed 1.3 million tons of pulp, that wood is available for biomass. That is a fallacy because at Schiller's going rate of $27.00 per ton, round wood (pulp wood) is far to valuable and wasteful as a source for biomass, but is the key to Sancousy's testimony for usage. That comment alone has a very alarming ring to it as he's one smart guy and if we're heading towards usage of pulp with a 25% efficient plant we're really heading towards waste and efficiency. Additionally, by definition, biomass is presumed to be the "waste product" of the tree and not effectively "round wood" and/or pulp wood.
If Laidlaw were a smaller plant that didn't tax the coos loop and bring into concern the maxing out of available wood supply I'd like to see it situated on a site outside of city center like Clean Power's proposed site, but I could more accept it where it is if these negatives didn't exist.
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