How big is a biomass power plant? How big is the proposed eastern Placer County biomass facility?

The intended end use of the energy and the availability of fuel/feed stock determine the capacity of a biomass power plant to generate electricity. In the U.S., most biomass power plants are associated with forest industries such as sawmills. These produce electricity and heat or steam using biomass wastes (e.g. sawdust and bark) from the sawmill operations. Electricity and heat or steam generated can be utilized for the sawmill. Excess electricity can be sold to the electrical grid.

Generally, biomass power plants are larger than 15 megawatts (MW) (one megawatt is enough to service about 1,000 households for a year), but can range from less than 1 MW to over 50 MW. It takes about 8,000 bone dry tons (2 big trucks a day) of woody biomass to produce one MW of electricity on an annual basis. The eastern Placer County biomass facility is proposed to generate between 1 and 3 MW of renewable electricity.

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1. What is woody biomass, and where does it come from?
2. What is renewable biomass energy? Why is it renewable?
3. What is a biomass power generation facility? How is power currently generated from wood?
4. How big is a biomass power plant? How big is the proposed eastern Placer County biomass facility?
5. What waste products does the plant produce?
6. What air pollution issues does biomass power present?
7. How would biomass power impact wildfire catastrophes? Will biomass power endanger our forests?
8. How is it renewable energy if it emits greenhouse gases?
9. Will there be an increased cost of lumber products or food produce? Will any food crops be impacted (like corn due to ethanol production)?
10. Is biomass power more expensive than other power generation?
11. Can biomass be used to make liquid or gas fuels? What about transportation fuels?