COOK COUNTY LOCAL ENERGY PROJECT

Biomass

Of the many kinds of renewable energy being considered in Cook County, biomass has a lot of promise; in part, simply because we have a lot of it.

Biomass can refer to any renewable organic material but here in the North Woods we are primarily talking about trees and brush harvested from the forest. Woody biomass can be transformed into energy in a variety of ways; it can be burned for heat (hey, we already do that); it can be burned to create electricity through a turbine; it can produce both heat and electrical power in a more efficient process called "cogeneration;" or it can be turned into fuels such as ethanol or methane gas.

Biomass is a versatile resource that can be used in many applications from heating homes to utility scale power generation. Before woody biomass can be used for energy it must be processed into a usable form such as firewood, wood chips, or wood pellets. Since these forms are bulky, heavy and expensive to transport, biomass energy works most efficiently when grown, processed, and used right here in our own neighborhood.

If we can succeed in finding sustainable and socially-acceptable ways of harvesting our forestlands, locally-produced biomass energy could provide both environmental and economic benefits.

Environmentally, biomass is a renewable resource, and, because the amount of carbon released during combustion is offset by the amount of carbon absorbed as the forest regenerates, biomass is carbon-neutral. Economically, biomass could help fuel a local energy industry which creates local jobs and keeps local capital working in our community. Municipal waste and landfill gas are also forms of biomass which can be used as sources of energy. Click here to learn more about the CCLEP Biomass Project.