Re: Request for Advise, Insight, Comment on Locating WoodBurningPower Plant in Urban Industrial Area

[Emery Graham <"egraham"@ci.wilmington.de.us>]

John,

Your email is very timely. I appreciate your working insights. All of your
constraints have been addressed this group; Philpower. We have some health
issues
to cover. This plant, located in the middle of the Northeast corridor, is
selling
liquified carbon dioxide to PraxAir and this makes the economics of this plant
work. Additionally they are located in an Enterprise Community which brings
tax
relief and credits, along with subsidized funding.

Our concerns are the impacts on the health of the surrounding community.
They are
in a heavily populated urban area. What's the smokestack emission content and
volume? How clean can that emission get; what's the state of the art
technology
for emission reduction and what's the technological innovation on the horizon?

Insight on the job impact is helpful. They're arguing 68 based on the fact
that
construction waste will be 40% of the fuel mix and they will be paid
tipping fees.
This plant is located midway between Boston and Richmond. Rail, truck, and
boat
access is readily available to the proposed plant site. In addition,
because they
will build on a concrete or asphalt base, they have proposed building at an
Amtrack maintenance facility that is also a brownfieds site. In doing so they
would remedy the site by capping the area of construction.

Any further comments, insights, or direction would be appreciated. What
kind of
neighbors would these plants be if they were in a heavily populated area? What
would they have to do to be good neighbors?

Emery

John Sheehan wrote:

> Emory:
> I'm here in rural NE CA and we have a number of forest and mill wood waste
> fired
> electric plants in the area that I work closely with. I'd second all of
> Patrizia's
> comments and add a few more.
> The # of jobs is overestimated. Our local facilities (similar MWs) don't
> generally
> use more than a dozen employees each.
> The keys on the power sales contract are the length of term (if any) at a
> subsidized rate and what proportion of output will be bought at the
subsidized
> rate. If it's less than ten years then the project can't be fully
> amortized. If
> the power company doesn't guarantee purchase of all the power at a rate
> that deals
> with the "nut" then it's not worthwhile.
>
> Most of the facilities in this area have had a short period of time where
they
> have problems meeting particulate standards till the get the bag house and
> precipitators adjusted. The community and regulators should expect a
shakedown
> period.
>
> The biggest issue we have here is getting biomass supply at a low price. The
> feedstock should be chipped and ready to put into the boiler at less than
> $20 per
> bone dry ton, preferably $0.
>
> The industry in CA is over 500 mw and ranges in size from 10-50 MW. Learn
from
> them. If you need contacts, let me know.
>
> good luck,
> John Sheehan
>