From: Charlie Cary <crcary@biomasscombustion.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2019 12:02 PM
To: RPS, DOER (ENE)
Subject: Proposed RPS Change Comments
Attachments: Fallon
Breger_2002_Woody Biomass Supply in MA (002).pdf
Proposing that Massachusetts lower it thermal efficiency standards for wood fired power plants to receive RPS subsidies clearly highlights the wood residue disposal problem in the State. Lowering efficiency standards is completely contrary to the Baker/Polito’s national leadership in fighting climate change through increased efficiency and innovative programs. It also highlights the fact that only EEA is trying to figure out how best to create markets for this resource.
As many of you know, I firmly believe that EEA’s gallant effort to develop more efficient, locally based wood heating markets is pushing on a rope without the support of the State’s Economic Development Office. The attached 2002 report indicates the State is producing over a million ton of this resource every year (see p. 5). Climate change, pest infestation and disease has only increased this number of the last 17 years. Since each ton of green wood can produce the same heat as $150 worth of oil at $2.50 a gallon this available wood could be producing up to $150 million dollars’ worth of local economic development aid each year. This wood is cut so its carbon will return to the atmosphere relatively quickly. Is the best use of this resource really to subsidize trucking it down the road to inefficiently produce electricity?
The real travesty is that municipalities will continue to pay to get rid of this potentially beneficial resource. The Westminster wood generating plant pays less for this resource than it costs to deliver it to the plant. Yes, centralized plants can reduce the municipal/utility wood waste disposal problem but it does nothing to build the local infrastructure to bring higher value to all available wood. Any forester in Massachusetts will tell you that these higher value markets are critical for good forest management and movement toward the “Wildlands and Woodland Vision”.
Enabling low value, centralized generating facilities through subsidies will take the pressure off the opportunity to develop higher value, more efficient and beneficial community based heating projects and simply maintain status quo. I hope we can all agree that keeping the maximum amount of oil in the ground while helping our Commonwealth economically and environmentally is a higher priority than a quick fix which results in a poor use of resources.
Charlie Cary
978-697-8223