Biomass to Energy Facility

What is the biomass to energy facility all about?

Placer County is developing an approach to finance and install a new small scale combined heat and power facility in eastern Placer County. This facility will utilize technology that is powered entirely by woody biomass - a green renewable fuel generated as a byproduct of hazardous forest fuels reduction activities. Scheduled to be operational in the 2014/15 timeframe, the facility will generate electricity 24/7 for distribution in eastern Placer County. It will also provide a demonstration of heat for the building and to melt snow on the roof, road, and sidewalks of the site.

Placer County has been developing plans for a biomass to energy facility in eastern Placer County for an extended period of time. Several economic and environmental studies have been performed and Placer County is now in a position to move forward to the development phase of the project. Technical information is available in the "Grants" section of this website.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors has directed staff to move forward with the project at a site known as Cabin Creek located at the Eastern Regional Landfill off Highway 89. The environmental documents for Cabin Creek are available for review.

In December of 2011 Placer County was contacted by the Sequoia Foundation that a grant to perform a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of the proposed Cabin Creek Biomass Energy facility from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts was awarded. The goal was to look at the potential positive and negative health impacts of this type of facility for the region. In an HIA, an objective review is done on the proposed project and community stakeholder involvement dictates which health outcomes are assessed. Collaboration with the surrounding communities was a critical facet of the analysis that looked at impacts to air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, wildfires, water quality, community stress and anxiety, noise, traffic and employment opportunities. For information about this HIA, please see the press release and full report. An executive summary is also available in Spanish (Traducción al Español).

Who are our partners?

The Cabin Creek Biomass Facility project has attracted both equity partners and government partners. Placer County has already received a Congressionally-directed grant for $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy sponsored by Congressman Doolittle (technical grant activities are currently in progress) as well as another $1.5 million for project development and environmental review and $1 million grant for construction of the facility sponsored by Senator Feinstein. Our government partners are the USDA Forest Service. Currently Placer County has a contractual relationship with the USFS to remove existing biomass piles for use in generating renewable energy rather than burning piles in the open. The long-term goal is to create a stewardship agreement to allow future woody biomass material from the National Forests to be utilized in the Biomass to Energy Facility.

Who else is supporting the concept of this project? NOTE: Since no specific design has been completed, any such support from organizations is conceptual and in no way should convey anything deeper. Placer County has received wide ranging conceptual support (political, technical and economic) from numerous organizations including:

• US Environmental Protection Agency (both in Washington DC and San Francisco)
• USDA Forest Service
• US Department of Interior
• US Department of Energy
• California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
• California Energy Commission
• California State Parks
• California Tahoe Conservancy
• Sierra Nevada Conservancy
• California Board Of Forestry
• Placer County Air Pollution Control District
• Placer County Water Agency
• UC Davis
• NV Energy (formerly Sierra Pacific Power)
• California Pacific Electric Company (CALPECO) also known as Liberty Energy
• North Tahoe Fire Protection District
• High Sierra Resource Conservation and Development Council

In addition, discussions are ongoing with several environmental groups (League to Save Lake Tahoe, Sierra Club, and Sierra Forest Legacy) so as to encourage their acceptance and participation in the project.

What is our timeline?

With the Placer County Board of Supervisors denying the appeal of the Cabin Creek site, the project is now working toward final power purchase agreements, private financing, and design. The facility could be operational by the Winter of 2014/15.

Are there any ways for the public to provide input?

At this point, all public hearings have been concluded; however, Placer County welcomes public input which can be provided to the project manager at any time.

Are there answers to Frequently Asked Questions available that address this project?

Yes, we have a detailed Frequently Asked Questions - 2010 (FAQ) document that is updated as new information is available. In addition, a new list of Frequently Asked Questions - 2011 has been developed based on further research and project studies.