From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Feb 2 09:40:41 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 09:40:41 -0800 Subject: [Forest_Biomass] Bend Bulletin story on Sisters SD biomass Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B660929D7F@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Sisters schools may convert to biomass under proposal By Patrick Cliff / The Bulletin, February 01. 2010 The Sisters School District may be the first district in the region to install a biomass heating system at one of its schools, and it might be able to do so without making any upfront investment. In the past, school board members have been supportive of using biomass - wood pellets, in this case - to heat its buildings, but the immediate cost of about $125,000 to install a new boiler was too high as the district struggled with tight budgets. The school board is scheduled to consider the new plan at its Wednesday night meeting. If the school board approves the plan, the district will begin with the high school's heating system, which is its costliest and so has the largest potential savings. Backers of the plan say it would eventually save the district thousands of dollars while benefiting the environment. No initial cost The new plan would allow the district to pay for the system over several years. In three years of researching biomass systems, this is the first time that Director of Operations Leland Bliss has found a way to pay for the system with no initial investment. "We're looking for a way to do it so it's not going to affect any of the budget," Bliss said. "We want a program that's no cost to the district." Under the new approach, the district would pay a set fee to Energyneering, a local biomass company. The fee would be equal to the district's current heating costs at the high school of about $60,000 per year. No contract has yet been signed and so details might change, Bliss said. Savings After about 10 years, the district would own the system, according to board member Glen Lasken. At that point, the district would pay only for the wood pellets and, depending on heating oil costs, could save tens of thousands of dollars a year. "In the long run, it's a cost- saving measure," Lasken said. "That's probably the driving force." Lasken said the board had not yet decided whether to support the plan, but that he hadn't found any issues with it. "We need to ask if there is any risk, if anything happens to the company involved. Are there any hidden costs?" Lasken said. "I don't see any significant problems." Bliss said the stable costs would be an immediate benefit for the district. With its current system, the district uses diesel, the cost of which can fluctuate from day to day, Bliss said. If the board agrees to the biomass plan, the district could more accurately project what its high school heating costs would be, Bliss said. "We could budget a price and not have the volatile fuel prices jumping," he said. Rare company The system would put Sisters in rare company. Schools in Enterprise and Burns are the only ones in Oregon with biomass systems already in place, according to Phil Chang, a program administrator at the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council. COIC has advised the school district as it looked for biomass options. The biomass system would help the district both save money and use renewable energy, Chang said. "It's a highly effective and appropriate use of wood for energy," Chang said. "It lets (the district) do a good thing by getting renewable energy online." Using biomass can also help the local economy, according to Chang. With a heating oil system, much of the money spent leaves the state, he said. A biomass system can use local wood that would otherwise go to waste, such as sawdust from mills and waste left from forest thinning projects. "If the school district buys locally produced wood pellets, all of the money stays in the community and is circulated in the community," Chang said. "We're stopping the leakage of that (energy) money." Patrick Cliff can be reached at 541-633-2161 or at pcliff at bendbulletin.com. ### Questions about the Forest Biomass News service? Kevin Weeks, Oregon Department of Forestry - 503-945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Feb 8 10:32:22 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 10:32:22 -0800 Subject: [Forest_Biomass] Forest Biomass Work Group meets February 22 in Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B66092A454@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Forest Biomass Work Group meets February 22 in Salem February 8, 2010 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 A workgroup of representatives from state government, forest industries, renewable energy development and the environmental community will meet in Salem on February 22 to talk about the role of Oregon's forests in providing energy production from wood. The Forest Biomass Work Group will meet on Monday February 22 at 10:00 a.m. in the Administration Building (Tillamook meeting room) of the Oregon Department of Forestry complex, 2600 State Street in Salem. Time is provided in the agenda for a working lunch - participants may bring their own lunch or contribute money towards a shared lunch. Members of the public attending the meeting are encouraged to bring a lunch. An agenda for the meeting is under development. Members of the public are invited to participate in the meeting. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Questions about accessibility or special accommodations for the meeting can be directed to the Oregon Department of Forestry at (503) 945-7427. Timber that may not have a market saw-log value -- either from being too small, damaged, waste from mill production or being too far from a potential milling market - holds great potential for producing energy. Forest biomass is a renewable source of energy, as wood biomass is generated as a by-product of active forest management. Additional information about the Oregon Department of Forestry is available on ODF's web site, www.oregon.gov/ODF. ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer ODF Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Wed Feb 10 12:54:32 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:54:32 -0800 Subject: [Forest_Biomass] Statement by Governor Kulongoski on House Passage of BETC and Biomass Legislation Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B66092A81B@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Theodore R. Kulongoski Governor [image001.gif] NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 10, 2010 Contact: Anna Richter Taylor, 503-378-6169 Rem Nivens, 503-378-6496 Jillian Schoene, 503-378-5040 Statement by Governor Kulongoski on House Passage of BETC and Biomass Legislation (Salem) - "I applaud the members of the House today for passage of House Bill 3680, reforming the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) and House Bill 3674, recognizing pre-1995 biomass facilities as part of Oregon's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). "The reforms in House Bill 3680 will improve the state's renewable energy incentive program, an effort that has successfully attracted jobs and investment to Oregon, by ensuring greater accountability for taxpayers and certainty for the green energy industry. This legislation will also allow the program to continue to be a strong economic development tool for communities across Oregon. "House Bill 3674 recognizes that biomass is an important renewable energy resource that Oregon should continue to develop. The compromise legislation ensures this renewable energy resource continues to help the state reduce its carbon emissions while also maintaining Oregon's aggressive RPS and improving the health of our forests. "I appreciate the hard work of the members of the House in developing and passing this important legislation and look forward to signing both bills after swift passage in the Senate." - 30 - Questions about the Forest Biomass News service? Contact- Kevin Weeks Oregon Department of Forestry (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 9922 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: