Can the simple act of burning wood as a means of keeping warm play a significant role in our nation's next-gen sustainable energy future? An emerging coalition of academics, economists, policymakers and   business leaders say “Yes,”and have joined forces to make that very case to both a curious public and a wary green / environmental community.  The discussion is underway, and the conversation is both productive and lively.

Furthermore, with a stars are aligned just right argument that should be of special interest to readers of this very publication, the suggestion is made that the Northeast US is in a unique position to reap tremendous benefits; economic, environmental and social.   The proposition: if the region's cold climate energy demands could be transitioned to one that utilizes an internal supply source – of which the NE  has a deep reservoir if that source is defined as wood --- combined with the potential of exporting that supply to external markets, a  bright future can be pictured. 

But the realization of those aims won't be easy, given a wide variety of hurdles that the coalition and its supporters need to negotiate in the coming years. Those challenges range from the need to change embedded perceptions to embarking on a massive public education campaign to winning a seat at the incentives table with other (and more preferred) alt-energy options.  

In other words: it won't be easy.

Everything old is new again

From the early beginnings of mankind, the notion of setting fire to wood has helped solve the very basic survival need of keeping warm.  For many thousands of years, wood burning was the primary non-solar means of solving the mismatch between our warm-blooded body makeup and the not-always-warm aspects of Mother Nature's master plan.  Such was the way of life, right up until our prior century, when fossil fuels became the dominant solution to the “thermal” (aka heat) equation..

Now, as the vision of a worldwide post-fossil energy future is debated, planned and implemented, the prospect of once again relying on wood is being offered up as a key piece of that puzzle.  Can this everything old is new again solution, now tagged as Thermal Biomass (def: biological material utilized to generate heat), play such a role?

Leading the charge in the affirmative is a coalition of five environmental and energy-focused nonprofits: the Biomass Thermal Energy Council, Alliance for Green Heat, NY Biomass Energy Alliance, Maine Pellet Fuels Association and the Pellet Fuels Institute. The group is  not only beginning the long, hard process of herding a diverse (and sometimes conflicting) constituency of stakeholders in a spirit of a common mission, but are also taking the important step of proposing and publishing a preliminary road map, titled Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass — A Vision for 2025. 

The Playing Field

Any conversation concerning America's path towards cutting its foreign energy reliance is bound to take one of three directions: the conservation & efficiency path; the tit-for-tat route of seeking domestic replacements for foreign fossil fuels; or the substitution route using renewable alternatives. The wild card in the deck is nuclear, with its own unique health, safety and disposal concerns.

The renewable option is the preferred mechanism, because it adds the clean-green environmental benefit to the mix: climate change is reduced given that carbon emissions are minimized, if not outright eliminated. The sexy twins of solar and wind power lead the way here, with additional support from geothermal, tidal, and hydro and other technologies. 

Within that renewable sector, hanging on the fringes of the public mindset, is a perplexing and misunderstood player that seeks a seat at the discussion table: biomass.

Biomass Primer

By its simplest definition, biomass energy is the utilization of organisms, specifically of  the recently-living (as opposed to fossilized) variety.  Biomass energy is sourced from five places: trees & plants, garbage, waste stream subsets, landfill gases, and alcohol based liquids.  Once its energy potential is released --- via chemical reaction or good old fashioned burning --- that source material can then contribute to one of three major energy classifications: transportation fuels (biodiesel and ethanol); grid electricity (from its burning steam); or heating.  In addition, earth friendly products can be developed  as plastic substitutes.

In analyzing the heating (thermal) application, history shows a trend of biomass being the primary thermal source of all societies up until the point where they reach an advanced development level, when fossil and (sometimes) nuclear systems – both micro and grid-based – kick in as the preferred problem solvers.  Thermal biomass survives in even the most advanced economies, but usually in either a backup or vanity format (example: fireplaces).

The late 70s oil shock brought about a  mini-Renaissance, as a wood stove industry arose, seemingly overnight, to offer cover from the dollar-a-gallon (gasp) oil bills being delivered by agents of previously ignored and troubling strangers from the Middle East. Suddenly, every homeowner seemed to be in the market for these cast iron monstrosities, which typically served the purpose of warming a single space or room in a building. Many pulled the trigger, plopping one down in the living room right next to the TV and the frightened family pet. White collar suburbanites quickly became versed in the quirky measuring unit called a cord. 

The return of relatively cheap oil in the proceeding decades dampened the enthusiasm for thermal wood burning, although a new variety arose in the late 90's: outdoor boilers with vents running into various entry points in (mostly) rural) homes. Today's thermal biomass boosters wish that this era never occurred, given the dirty & smelly aspect of that period's technology, which haunts the modern day perception.

Biomass did make a return to the world stage at the start of the 21st Century, but it wasn't in the thermal arena.  Instead, it detoured into the transport sector, and biodiesel and ethanol became the rage.  The concern for how one fills up her car's fuel tank took precedent over how to heat the home. Many though this was the magic key, and a huge amount of  brainpower, funding and political capital was devoted to the green-motoring prospect. Thermal, once again, took a back seat not only within the biomass sector, but also within the wider renewables class, with the emergence of solar, wind and geothermal as the more popular choices for heating one's home or business.

Until now, that is.  Things change,and  biodiesel is now out of favor for a variety of factors – disrupted food markets, stalled technology development, among them.  In addition,  the aforementioned in-fashion renewables are getting a second look as to their upside potential as well, and a new and improved thermal biomass approach –  cleaner, bigger and more efficient – is being offered.  Thermal Biomass looks like it is back in play.

Thermal Biomass

Thermal has gained significant traction, especially in the recent two years.  'Thermal' is a quasi scientific term for 'heat', hence this subject addresses the potential of heating homes and businesses with biomass; specifically chuck wood, wood chips as well as clean waste streams.  Dead trees, tree branches, yard clippings, left-over crops, sawdust, even livestock manure are all source stock potential.  Processed wood pellets offer a high level of efficiency to the math equation.

As do the new generation of manufactured units in which those (typically) woody materials are burned.  Three important observations need to be made here:

1) These are BOILERS, not the stoves we commonly associate with the application
2) The focus now includes CENTRAL heating, in addition to legacy small space scenario
3) These boilers are increasingly efficient (energy conversion) and clean (carbon and dirt capture)


It is obvious that these are not your father's wood stoves.  Again, they are not even stoves, but boilers. The typical residential installation is one where a unit in installed in the basement, in the same footprint as a previous oil burner. The same venting system is utilized.  Source material (chips or pellets) are fed into holding units (picture them being provided by the legacy oil delivery industry) and a mechanized auger does the feeding, as instructed by a temperature control system.  Heat is dispersed throughout the home.

The Regional Biomass Vision

The Northeast  USA has a serious problem: it is incredibly dependent on fossil fuels for heating.  The numbers are frightening: 86%  of the nation’s home heating oil consumption is here; and  96% of  the region's total heating needs are from nonrenewable (fossil) sources.  $18 billion “leaks” out of the region annually as a result, most of it to foreign interests.

The Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass — A Vision for 2025 declaration calls for what is calls a new American Revolution, whereby the northeast states put in motion a roadmap to domestically produce a significant portion of its internal thermal needs.  Specifically, it calls for what is calls a '25 by 25' target:

?    25% of the region's thermal heating need are met with renewable sources by 2025
?    75% of that source will come from sustainably produced and local biomass

If executed, the predicted numbers are startlingly significant: 1.38 million households would be converted; 1.14 billion gallons of heating oil will be saved annually, $4.5 billion would be retained by the region's economy each year; reduced sulfur emissions, reduced greenhouse gases; and healthier local economies through improved economics of forest and farm ownership (i.e., retained farm and wood lands). Job creation and economic development is an important part of the mix.

Local Significance

The ecoLocal Living readership area, especially in its northern points, was based heavily on the forest industry for a good deal of its economic base in past generations. That industry is in the final stages of decline; in some areas it has already disappeared completely.  As a result, many communities in the Adirondacks and its foothills are in Depression-like straits. Many experts think that the themes and suggestions offered by the 25 by 25 Vision offer a path for the renewal and revival of those very  communities.

Jerry Jenkins, author of  the recently published Climate Change in the Adirondacks – The Path to Sustainability, addresses some of the issues from a local perspective by stating the need for integrated approaches: “biomass burning is carbon neutral if the forests the biomass come from are carbon neutral, and is most economically beneficial if biomass production is integrated with lumber production rather than displacing it.”

Using the same thoughtful and math-based logic that permeates his book, Jenkins also offers a short analysis of a specific mountain town, using its own unique energy supply and demand coordinates as the basis for concluding that, in this specific instance, the community would be a candidate for a self-sustaining (and sustainable) thermal heating infrastructure build-out ; but not for a large scale biomass electricity plant (the likes of which are drawing ire from many both within and outside the biomass industry)

(Note: Mr Jenkins will be appearing and speaking locally at the February 22 session of Sustainable Saratoga. Details at: www.sustainablesaratoga.com)

In addition, a newly formed local group is busy together a comprehensive plan for what it calls a Biomass Eco Village, which will create a cluster of allied manufactures and service providers, creating a supply chain within both the biomass thermal and transport industries.  Although it will not show its 'public face' until an upcoming press announcement, the group has provided ecoLocal Living with a preliminary footprint / map of what such a project might look like.  It further explains that it is “laying low” at the present, pending a search for some local economic development partners, both public and private.

The Early Pushback

This emerging and revitalized thermal biomass industry initiative certainly has early momentum. But, it is also encountering a slew of pushbacks, objections and obstacles that are slowing down both the buy-in to the 25 by 25 Vision, and ultimately its execution.  These stumbling blocks are coming from a number of directions.

First and foremost is the public perception of what thermal biomass is all about. When broken down to its more comprehensible “burning wood to make heat” translation, red flags are raised left and right. The typical reaction is to picture the space heating wood stoves or the dirty backyard boilers of past decades. A major public relations an education campaign will be the only way to counter that, and must be an invested.

Second is the resistance from certain segments of the green community.  The core concepts of both chopping and burning trees is enviro-heresy to many; who reject the both the carbon-neutral and the low sulfur arguments of the thermal crowd.  Such a debate is in full force, and will need to run its course of continuing and ongoing scientific analysis.

Third; there is an internal dynamic that is (or should be ) cause for concern in this nascent industry. Certain divides are becoming apparent ; even within organizations that would appear to be a single voice. Examples here are thermal's friction with their  transport /biodiesel cousins – which centers (currently) on funding and resource investment allocation, and (eventually) on source crop competition. Similar contentions are arising between those advocating the use of biomass for large scale grid/electrification projects, with their matching mega-appetite for competing source wood.  

Finally, there is the competition with the other, more popular renewable options.  It's one thing to not have a seat at the table with solar and wind for consumer exposure, but it's a much bigger problem when you finally get to participate in that setting, but do so with hand tied.  That is the position that thermal biomass finds itself in, given that is is not working with most of the financial incentives (both R&D and consumer level) that its competitors are enjoying.  It wants equal access, which will be tough politically, for many reasons.

Summary

Thermal biomass is an industry that feels like its time has come. Out task, as interested consumers and citizens, is to analyze its ecological, environmental and economic claims for validity and accuracy.  If that test is passed, it makes full sense to proceed with implementing many (if not all) of the suggestions made in the 25 by 25 Vision plan.

Such a process has major future ramifications for ecoLocal Living readers and their communities, for the reasons mentioned.  Your participation in that evolving process should be seriously considered.


Robert Millis is principal of the Millis Group (Albany & Boston), a strategic advisory firm specializing in the media, internet, energy and entertainment fields. For a copy of  Heating the Northeast with Renewable Biomass — A Vision for 2025, email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it