January 27, 2010

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Issues Guide To Develop Renewable and Sustainable Biomass Energy

Guidebook To Aid Future Investments in Biomass Projects and Diversify State's Electricity Mix

New York State's abundant supply of biomass can significantly help the State meet its clean energy and environmental goals while reducing greenhouse gases emissions and dependence on non-renewable fuels, according to a study issued today by the Pace Energy and Climate Center for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The Guide for Siting Small-Scale Biomass Projects in New York State will help developers identify appropriate sites and technologies for small-scale biomass-to-electricity projects, and navigate the regulatory process to gain project approval. Biomass is any organic material such as wood, crops, or waste, used as a fuel for generating renewable energy.

"Expanding New York's use of our abundant biomass fuels will help improve our environment, increase our energy security, and create jobs in the new economy," said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. "I applaud the Pace Energy and Climate Center for developing this invaluable resource to help New Yorkers maximize the potential of this renewable resource and help New York reach Governor David Paterson's ambitious clean energy goals."

Increased production of electricity from biomass, a clean and environmentally sustainable source of energy, can help achieve the Governor's '45 by 15' goal of significantly increasing New York's use of renewable energy by 2015.

"Pace Energy and Climate Center is honored to have had the opportunity to develop this comprehensive tool to assist smaller-scale biomass-to-electricity project development in New York State," said Thomas Bourgeois, Deputy Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center. "On behalf of our project partners we express our appreciation to NYSERDA and their Program Management team for the guidance, perspective, and expertise they provided during the course of this work."

The Guidebook focuses on three biomass-to-electricity technologies that offer significant potential to increase New York's use of renewable fuel and create economic benefits for dairy farmers and local communities. These technologies include:

Anaerobic digester gas-to-electricity (ADG) is a proven technology that is helping dairy farmers, wastewater treatment plants, and the food industry reduce operating costs, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigate odors by converting gases that are produced from organic waste into electricity.

Biomass combustion technology uses biomass as a fuel source for generating electricity, either by itself or in conjunction with fossil fuels.

Biomass gasification transforms solid biomass into a combustible gas to generate electricity in a way that significantly increases efficiency and dramatically decreases emissions.

For all three biomass technologies, the Guidebook underscores the importance of incorporating combined heat and power (CHP) technologies to make biomass projects more efficient and economically viable.

The Guidebook is available at Report09_07SitingSmallBiomassProjects.pdf .

Contact:

Jeffrey Gordon, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext. 3544
jrg@nyserda.ny.gov