placer county biomass program · placer county biomass program an overview of the initiatives...

Placer County Biomass ProgramAn Overview of the InitiativesChallenges and Opportunities

Tom ChristofkPlacer County Air Pollution Control District

Presented at6th Annual Forum of the California Biomass Collective

May 12, 2009

Placer CountyAir Pollution Control District

Special District (9 member governing board)Located within 3 separate Air BasinsPrograms include:

Permitting and inspections of stationary sourcesEnforcement of Air Pollution Control Laws and RegulationsAir MonitoringAir Quality Planning – CEQA/NEPA & Attainment/TransportClean Air Grants and Incentive ProgramsPublic OutreachAir ToxicsImplement Special Projects to reduce Air PollutantsManage Open Burning such as Agricultural/Forestry

Placer County StatisticsSacramento Valley to Lake Tahoe

Valley, foothills, mountainsExploding population, rapid development550,000 acres of forested land (> 50% of total county land)Three National Forests

Lake Tahoe Basin Management UnitTahoe National ForestEldorado National Forest

High property values, many wildland urban interfaceRecent major wildfires

Gap, Ponderosa, Star, Ralston, American River ComplexPopulation : 330,000

Note: Other emissions not included are: Transport and firefighting related; localized emissions impact from fuel processing plant; fugitive dust after burns; emissions from forest decay.

Placer CountyPlacer County’’s Biomass Programs Biomass Program

Renewable Energy from Biomass

Wildfire Risk

Reduction

Forest Health Improvements

Air Quality Enhancement

GHG Reductions

Forest Sector Non-Subsidized

Solutions (Environmental & Public Health Improvements)

Forest Fuel Treatment Economic & Emission

Analysis

Regional Biomass Material

Collection and

Processing

Bio Energy Facility Development

Land Development (CEQA) /

Carbon Offsets

Fire as a Resource Management Tool(Prescribed burning &Smoke management)

Wildfire Mitigation(CWPP, Defensible space

creation by mechanical means)

Public Health

Research Air Quality Impacts

GHGProtocols for

Forest Management and Biomass

Monetize BenefitsWatershedEcosystemFire fightingPublic healthRecreationAir qualityAvoided fires

Existing DriversPolicy

Calif Bioenergy PlanUSFS StewardshipsRenewable energy

creditsFire suppression vs

fire prevention

Laws & RegulationsAB32SB97Clean Air ActCEQA / NEPA

Market/Economic Factors

Carbon creditsForest managementBiomass fuel costFossil fuel costFire suppression


Wildfire Risk

Reduction



GHG Reductions




Collection and

Processing



Carbon Offsets




Public Health


GHGProtocols for






fire prevention

Laws & RegulationsAB32SB97Clean Air ActCEQA / NEPA



Placer CountyPlacer County’’s Biomass Programs Biomass ProgramForest Fuel Treatment Economic & Emission

Analysis

Forest Fuel Treatment Economic and Emission Analysis

Case Study Demonstration Project : Post-harvest Slash Piles, Tahoe National Forest (Foresthill, CA) Chipping and transport to biomass to energy facility (Lincoln, CA), 60 miles

10,000 green tons (5,000 BDT)Excellent fuel quality – 9,000 Btu/lb, 40% moisture5,800 MW electricity produced

Economics: $55/BDT ($3.25/MMBtu), working to increase operating efficiency

Forest Fuel TreatmentCriteria Air Pollution Emission Reductions

4,200 BDT forest slash

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000Pi

le B

urn

Bio

mas

s to

Ene

rgy

Pile

Bur

n

Biom

ass

toEn

ergy

Pile

Bur

n

Biom

ass

toEn

ergy

Pile

Bur

n

Bio

mas

s to

Ener

gy

Emis

sion

s (lb

)

Biomass BoilerBiomass ChippingBiomass TransportOpen Pile Burn

NOxPM-10 CO VOC

1,000,000

* Emissions from pile burning of Sierra Nevada tree species – data sources including CARB and EPA AP-42 compilations, and recent pilot scale studies and literature review.

*

Forest Fuel TreatmentGreenhouse Gas Emission Reductions

4,200 BDT forest slashBaseline

Open Burning

Biomass to Energy

* : Biogenic CO2 not included in CCAR offset protocol accounting

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Open Burning Biomass to Energy

CO

2e (t

ons)

Grid electricity (unrealized)Open pile burning (CH4)Open pile burning (CO2)*TransportChippingBiomass power plant (CH4)Biomass power plant (CO2)*Fossil fuel

for 4,652 MW

CO2e Reduction : 2,205 tons

CO2 Cost EffectivenessForest Fuel Treatment

05

101520253035404550

45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55Biomass Processing and Transport Cost ($/BDT biomass)

GH

G (C

O2e

) Cos

t Effe

ctiv

enes

s ($

/ to

n C

O2e

)

3040

Biomass fuel value at biomass to energy plant ($/BDT)

Before After

USFS rehabilitation & planting of genetically superior seedlingsNet increase in water yieldForest more fire resilientLess erosion

Forest Fuel TreatmentBenefits to the Watershed


Wildfire Risk

Reduction



GHG Reductions




Analysis


Collection and

Processing



Carbon Offsets




Public Health






fire prevention

Laws & Regulations

AB32SB97Clean Air ActCEQA / NEPA

Market/EconomicFactors


Placer CountyPlacer County’’s Biomass Programs Biomass ProgramGHG

Protocols for Forest

Management and Biomass

GHG Protocols for Biomass and Forest Management

Reforestation and ConservationCCAR* Protocols – adopted, currently in process of revision

Urban ForestryCCAR* Protocol – adopted Sept. 2008

Biomass Waste for EnergyFully supported by Placer County Air Pollution Control District To be completed Sept. 2009

Forest Fuel Treatment -- Wildfire Reduction, Enhanced Forest Growth

Partial support of $150,000 by Placer U.S. Forest Service team – End of 2011

Protocol Status

* California Climate Action Registry

Protocols ensure GHG offsets are Real, Permanent, Quantifiable, Enforceable, and Verifiable, as required under CA H&SC Section 38562(d)(1).

GHG Open Burn

GHG Reduction GHGDecay GHG Baseline Energy

GHG Biomass Energy

GHG Biomass Processing

= + +– – – GHG Biomass

Transport

GHG Protocols For Biomass and Forest ManagementBiomass Protocol

Uncontrolled Open

Burning

CH4

In-field Decay

CH4

Biomass Waste

Baseline Energy Supply

Fossil Fuel Combustion : CO2

Baseline, Business as Usual

Biomass Processing

Fossil Fuel Engines : CO2

Biomass Transport

Fossil Fuel Engines : CO2

Energy Recovery

Biomass Conversion Process : CH4

Operations at Biomass Generation

Site

Biomass Waste for Energy Project

Energy Production

Forest Fuel Treatment: Wildfire Reduction andEnhanced Forest Growth Protocol

Quantify GHG reductions for forest fuel treatment projects

Wildfire reduction – size, intensityForest growth rate enhancement

“Baseline business as usual” vs “forest fuel treatments”Experimental research to correlate and validate models Research Team

U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.C. Berkeley, and Spatial Informatics Group

GHG Protocols for Biomass and Forest Management


Wildfire Risk

Reduction



GHG Reductions




Analysis


Collection and

Processing





Public Health


GHGProtocols for






fire prevention

Laws & Regulations




Placer CountyPlacer County’’s Biomass Programs Biomass ProgramLand Development

(CEQA) /Carbon Offsets

• Land Development Project reviewCEQA Review to determine GHG impacts

Credit on-site GHG reduction activitiesMitigation to below significance

• Off-site GHG Mitigation ProgramCost of GHG at market ratePCAPCD to issue credits by applying funds to viable carbon beneficial projects

Forest management protocols

• ScheduleGHG Mitigation program targeted for implementation in 2009

Land Development (CEQA) / Carbon Offsets


Wildfire Risk

Reduction



GHG Reductions




Analysis


Collection and

Processing


Carbon Offsets




Public Health


GHGProtocols for






fire prevention

Laws & Regulations






System in Lake Tahoe BasinConversion methods

CombustionGasificationPyrolysis

Technology Assessment Evaluation CriteriaTechnology development status, operating experienceAir and water impactsEconomicsOperability, reliability

Cogeneration : 1 - 3 MW, hot water for heating and cooling10,000 BDT biomass / yearTarget date: 2011 - 2014USFS, Placer County, DOE and congressional grants of more than $2 million



Wildfire Risk

Reduction



GHG Reductions




Analysis



Carbon Offsets




Public Health


GHGProtocols for






fire prevention

Laws & Regulations






Collection and

Processing

Efficient biomass waste collection, processing, and delivery to energy recovery facility

Reduce biomass open burning, disposal in landfillImplementation

Municipal urban wood waste -- Material Recovery Facilities, recycling cans“Biomass Boxes” -- centrally located for defensible space clearingRegional collection yards for processing and transport

Achievements2007 : 600 tons2008 : 3,400 tons

ResourcesFederal and local grants: $200,000 for two years

Regional Biomass Collection


Wildfire Risk

Reduction



GHG Reductions




Analysis


Collection and

Processing


Carbon Offsets








fire prevention

Laws & Regulations






Public Health


GHGProtocols for


Public Health ResearchAir Quality Impacts

Understand link between air quality and medical impacts in Placer County

Ambient air data -- PM, ozoneHospital records -- mortality, respiratory and cardiovascular, lost worker / student time

Identify promising mitigation measures, with emphasis on childrenCommunity training and involvementResources

UCLA School of Public Health, under direction of Placer County Department of Health and Human Services$150,000 in grants from Calif. Endowment, PCAPCD, and Placer County Wildfire Protection & Biomass Utilization Program

ScheduleJan. 2008 – Dec. 2009

Challenges and Opportunities

• Challenges– Biomass fuel availability– Biomass fuel cost– Facility location– Facility size– Air permitting

• Offsets may be needed in non-attainment regions. Emission reduction credits in short supply

• Opportunities– Renewable energy credits, carbon credits

Bio RefineryCoGenGasifierLumbermillOther

Biomass Emission / Economic Process Model

Benefits ofBiomass Use

Energy production Reduces air emissionsDisplaces need for fossil

fuel usage Reduces greenhouse gas

burden Reduces landfill burdenProbable water Quality

enhancementsLikely forest health

improvementsLessening of catastrophic

wildland fire threats

Air Pollution / Emissions from open

burning

Catastrophic Wildfire

Biomass/Forest Fuel Loads

Prescribed In-Forest BurnPossible Offsets/Credits?(Real, Quantifiable, Surplus,Enforceable, Permanent)

Possible Carbon Market

ProductsEnergy ProductsFuel (liquid, gas)ElectricityHeatLumber Products

Relative Emissions Reduction

Emissions from fuel-processing plant

placer county biomass program · placer county biomass program an overview of the initiatives...

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