Georgia Magazine - March 2011 - (Page 16)

Georgia’s energy outlook BY HEATHER TEILHET, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE, GEMC Reality check: Biomass in Georgia This month GEORGIA Magazine continues its Clean Energy Reality Check Series examining the pros, cons, viability and roadblocks to renewable energy in Georgia. As we search for clean, reliable and affordable power, experts agree that biomass has great potential in Georgia. So what exactly is biomass, and how does it produce energy to heat and light our homes? GEORGIA Magazine asked 25-year energy expert Jill Stuckey, director of Georgia’s Center for Innovation for Energy, to deﬁne this industry buzzword. “Biomass can include any plant material,” says Stuckey. “Trees, grasses, cotton stalks, corn stover (leaves and stalks), or agricultural residues like peanut or pecan hulls are considered biomass.” While many technical processes convert biomass to energy, Stuckey says the simplest is burning the biomass to generate steam, which is used to generate electricity. Perhaps the primary reason Georgia is poised to be a world leader in biomass development is our natural advantage: 25 million acres of trees. “We have more trees in Georgia than any state except Oregon,” says Stuckey. “It’s a crop for us, and it’s renewable.” Georgia scientists are researching new crops that are the optimal size, consistency and moisture content and also generate more energy per acre per year. With a natural leg up on the competition, Georgia is strategically positioned while European countries are increasing mandates that require more energy to come from renewable sources. “The European mandate creep allows Georgia to beneﬁt economically,” she says. “We can market our biomass to other countries.” One example is the city of Waycross, which recently welcomed a German company to open a wood pellet manufacturing plant. The facility is the 16 Clean Energy Reality Check Series, Article No. 3 largest pellet plant in the world, and the pellets are exported to Europe. The plant created 75 new jobs and infused $150 million into Georgia’s economy, revitalizing the suffering timber industry. While trees are Georgia’s primary source of biomass, researchers have identiﬁed other promising organic When harvested, miscanthus is dry, unlike a materials that could render Georgia harvested pine that is 50 percent moisture. even more competitive in the global biomass market. Miscanthus is a pe- conversion process made investing in rennial grass that grows up to three the new biomass venture ﬁnancially times faster than pine trees. “The po- impractical. Furthermore, questions tential for miscanthus in Georgia is remain about the types of biomass huge, because it would allow us to the EPA will classify as renewable and avoid the cost of drying harvested carbon-neutral. Without legislative certainty to pine trees,” Stuckey says. Scientists are also looking into other crops clarify these issues, the private sector with potential such as sweet pota- will remain disinclined to invest huntoes, corn stover, cotton stalks, pea- dreds of millions in new biomass production. Just like OPC, utilities will be nut hulls and animal waste. Georgia’s geography, agricultural forced to consider other alternatives economy, timber inventory, research to meet the power supply needs. A reality check on the potential for institutions and workforce make it ideal for a thriving biomass indus- biomass in Georgia reveals both good try. But current and proposed Envi- and bad news. Georgia is poised to ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) be a global leader in the biomass inregulations combined with congres- dustry thanks to our abundant natural sional uncertainty are blunting the resources. But a full-scale expansion expansion of biomass here and of the biomass industry that would create jobs and investment while exacross the nation. Georgia’s own Warren County panding our clean energy portfolio is a casualty of these EPA regula- will remain in limbo absent a signiﬁtions, which caused Tucker-based cant change in EPA regulations. Oglethorpe Power Co. (OPC), the nation’s largest power supply Reality check: Biomass energy cooperative, to indeﬁnitely delay a biomass plant in Warren CounPros: Abundant inventory of biomass in Georty. If the Warren County plant had gia such as pine trees and other plants. been built, it would have created Cons: Uncertainty in Congress and EPA regula45 permanent jobs, hundreds of tions discourage ﬁnancial investments that jobs in the construction and timcould grow the industry. ber industries, and signiﬁcant tax Outlook: Biomass has the potential to be a revenues through a $480 million major contributor to Georgia’s sustainable investment in rural Georgia. energy portfolio and an economic driver for Regrettably, OPC delayed the state. Regulatory and legislative uncerthe biomass plant because new tainty remains, causing private investment in EPA regulations on industrialthe industry to be postponed. size boilers used in the biomass More online at www.georgiamagazine.org GEORGIA MAGAZINE PHOTOSPIN http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - March 2011

Georgia Magazine - March 2011
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Georgia’s Energy Outlook
Special Energy Report
A Balancing Act
Right on Key
Around Georgia
Georgia@Home
My Georgia
Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - March 2011