Biomass a viable energy source

One of the more annoying things we experience in life is being subjected to opinions of individuals who stray from their areas of expertise and wander into places to prattle on with a complete lack of knowledge. This nasty scenario keeps cropping up when the topic is the use of woody biomass and whether it is pure enough to be considered a renewable resource.

The uses for wood in whatever form are so many and varied it has been said that if wood did not exist, someone would try to invent it. Outside the uses everyone should know about, including building materials for construction and paper products like those used in every home and office on a daily basis by all Americans, wood has long been used for fuel.

Wood did and still does provide a heat source for many Montanans on cold wintry nights. The newest proposed use of more wood for consumption by our citizens is to generate electricity and to complement the use of coal, natural gas, solar, hydro and wind power. There is no perfect source to provide the electricity demanded by the public, but woody biomass certainly has its place in the equation.

There are numerous endeavors underway to develop many of the alternative energy sources with biomass in the forefront. Studies both completed and underway are indicating the positive aspects of biomass both from a carbon neutral stance and use of a readily available source.

Montana has the dubious honor of housing more than 5 million acres of dead and dying beetle-killed trees on our landscape. Unfortunately, that number increases by the day, and we will soon be in the same place as Colorado, with 100,000 trees a day falling and creating a hazard for people and critters.

Unlike wind farms that can cover huge landscapes both physically and visually, biomass operations are and can be located at existing facilities such as sawmills and wood products manufacturing plants. In many Montana communities, schools and other public buildings are utilizing biomass to provide heat and electricity for daily operations. There are permits required for operation to ensure air quality and other regulatory conditions imposed by the government.

A word or two of why biomass operations are less intrusive than wind farms should be mentioned. An example is the Judith Gap wind farm, with about 90 towers, some of which are on state trust lands. The foundation for each tower is 48 feet wide and seven feet deep, with fiberglass blades that when at the top of the arc are nearly 400 feet in the air. It is quite a sight if you have not viewed it for no other reason than the fact that the towers are visible for literally hundreds of miles.

The reason the land disturbance is mentioned here is for the benefit, or discomfort, of those who constantly push the idea that we should provide all of our electrical needs by use of wind. This is ludicrous and completely impossible, even if every view shed and mountain top in Montana had wind towers, and I know of no one who likes that idea.

Wind energy has been heavily subsidized for years and simply is not the reliable source needed by our citizens. The wind does not blow all of the time and must have a backup system to maintain a steady flow of electricity. The most stable sources are coal and natural gas, and at this point are the lowest cost to the consumer.

However, there are many rational reasons for moving toward more renewable sources of power generation, including biomass, but not to the exclusion of those two most reliable sources. As usual, the argument becomes the one-size-fits-all when the discussion should center on how each of the sources fit with the others in a complementary manner.

Like so many aspects of our economy and lives, there is room at the table for all of the energy sources, and it is to everyone's benefit to stop trying to fight off the other players and figure out ways that we can all be in the game.

We need those who have no expertise in energy matters to stop spewing nonsense and allow the discussion to take place with reasonable and knowledgeable folks who understand the positive attributes of how all of the energy sources can interact, so we can move ahead for the needs of all Montanans.

Ellen Simpson represents the Montana Wood Products Association, based in Helena.