The current state of the California biomass energy industry
- Future Resources Associates, Inc., Berkeley, CA (United States)
During the decade of the 1980s the California biomass energy industry grew from a few isolated facilities located mostly at pulp mills into the largest biomass energy industry in the world. Currently, more than fifty biomass powered electricity generating facilities provide the state with some 850 Megawatts (MW) of generating capacity, most of it interconnected to the state`s electric utility systems. Each year, more than ten million tons of wood and agricultural wastes in the state are converted into fuel, rather than being disposed of using conventional, environmentally costly methods like open burning and landfill burial. As the 1980s began, the California biomass energy industry was in a nascent state. Optimism was blooming within the wood-products and agricultural sectors of California, who foresaw an opportunity to turn costly wastes into profits. At the same time, the independent energy industry itself was being launched. Interest in biomass energy development was spreading to the engineering and construction industries and the financial community as well. A great variety of firms and individuals were engaged in the development of biomass power plants and biomass fuel sources. The second half of the 1980s saw the fruits of the developmental activity that began in the first half of the decade. Biomass energy facilities were entering construction and coming on-line in increasing numbers, and the demand for biomass fuels was increasing in step. As the decade was coming to an end, biomass fuel supplies were hard put to meet the demand, yet a huge number of new facilities entered operation in 1990. This extreme growth spurt of new generating capacity caused a fuel crisis and a shake-out in the industry just as it was entering full-scale operation. The Crisis of Success had been reached. More recently an equilibrium has been achieved in which fuel prices are at levels that produce adequate supplies, while allowing profitable operations at the power plants.
- OSTI ID:
- 135692
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410176-; TRN: 96:005517
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 6. national bioenergy conference, Reno, NV (United States), 2-6 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Bioenergy `94 using biofuels for a better environment. Technical papers, Volume 1 and Volume 2; Farrell, J.; Sargent, S.; Dwanson, D. [eds.] [and others]; PB: 753 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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