BiomassNews Mass. takes action with RPS woody biomass regulations Massachusetts’ renewable portfolio standard (RPS) is divided into two classes. The Class I standard applies to new resources and requires 15 percent renewable energy by 2020, with an additional 1 percent for each following year. The Class II standard applies to existing resources and requires 3.9 percent renewables and 3.5 percent waste-to-energy in 2009 and thereafter. The state made announcements regarding each class in August. More than two years after the process began, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources published its final regulation pertaining to the eligibility of renewable biomass for Class I of its RPS program, ending the moratorium on new biomass projects that was put into place in 2009. Indications are the regulations will make stand-alone biomass power within the state infeasible. A few days later, the DOER began a different moratorium on the qualification of wood biomass units for the state’s Class II RPS program and kicked off a rulemaking process on the RPS Class regulation to incorporate carbon emission limits and accounting from biomass plants in a manner consistent with the final regulations for the RPS Class I program.
18 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2012
Montpelier approves district heating project Mass. Class I RPS minimum renewable energy percentages Compliance Year Cumulative minimum percentage 1 2003 1.5 2004 2 2005 2.5 2006 3 2007 3.5 2008 4 2009 5 2010 6 2011 7 2012 8 2013 9 2014 10 2015 11 2016 12 2017 13 2018 14 2019 15 2020
The Montpelier, Vt., city council has elected to move forward with a district heating project that will replace an old, stateowned plant with a new biomass plant, but the road to approval was not simple. The council originally voted in favor of the new plant in June 2011, but rescinded its plans in a 4-2 vote Aug. 22, citing concerns about financial risks. The local community was not happy with the decision. According to Gwendolyn Hallsmith, director of planning and community development for Montpelier, the city council experienced significant voter outrage due to its decision to axe the project. The negative public reaction prompted Mayor John Hollar to call a special meeting Aug. 29, where the city council reversed its decision and voted to continue with the project, including changes to address financial concerns. Final determination of the project size will be made after construction bids are received in November.