EVENT of transportation fuels in California by at least 10 percent by 2020. Now, 11 Northeastern states have committed to a similar policy. “Our concern is that leaders of this movement have unequivocally stated they support the California policy, and that’s a problem,� Schuyler said. “It comes down to resource utilization. Energy doesn’t come to us for free—it takes energy to make energy—and there may be indirect effects associated with that. The indirect effect that has been largely debated is whether something else, somewhere else, might be affected by producing and using resources to make a fuel. We’re all aware of the indirect land-use controversy brewing in California, and the models used are highly subjective.� Schuyler and his organization are working to evaluate California’s LCFS and actions the Northeast can take to avoid current conflicts. “California policy says that only biofuels have unintended effects or market-mediated effects, and the Air Resources Board has stated on the record that they don’t believe petroleum has indirect effects,� he said. “We know it does, on any commodity, if the price goes up. Almost everything in our lives is somehow linked to oil, and for them to say that it doesn’t have indirect effects is, frankly, uniformed and irresponsible and we’re trying to get that problem addressed. It’s been a source of great confusion and frustration for the advanced biofuels industry, so we’re trying to move forward and make this a more productive conversation than in California.� Schuyler also touched on what he described as asymmetrical carbon accounting in California’s LCFS—particularly, the grandfathering in of new oil from eight countries/ regions that might exceed 2006 baseline carbon allowances. “ARB has said for example, crude out of Angola in 2014 that is significantly higher than the 2006 baseline will still qualify as that. To us, that doesn’t seem to be a serious way to address carbon in a performance-based standard, or to create markets for renewable energy technologies.� Northeast states such as New York and Maine that have agricultural industries have a lot to lose if inaccurate carbon accounting methods are used, Schuyler added. “If we’re going to expand and change the game and
move the system boundary to include indirect land use that’s fine, let’s have that conversation, but only when it’s scientifically defensible,� Schuyler said. The plenary sessions wrapped up with the U.S. DOE Northeast Clean Energy Application Center Deputy Director Thomas Bourgeois, who discussed basic combinedheat-and-power systems, the benefits a welldesigned, high-efficiency system can deliver, as well as what the center offers and how it works with developers to promote common interests.
The Northeast Biomass Conference & Expo continued with concurrent breakout panels under four region-specific tracks including electricity generation, industrial heat and power, biorefining and biomass power project development and finance. BIO Anna Austin and Lisa Gibson are Biomass Magazine associate editors. Reach them at aaustin@bbiinternational.com or (701) 7384968 and lgibson@bbiinternational.com or (701) 738-4952.
Make Sawdust
40 Tons Per Hour! 95% 1/4� Minus
Great New Opportunities: t 8PPE 1FMMFUT t $P 'JSJOH 8JUI $PBM t "OJNBM #FEEJOH
You Just Can’t Beat A Morbark For Speed And Consistency. If you’re ’ llooking ki to make k hay h with i h high-speed hi highh speedd sawdust d production, prodduction i look no further than Morbark. With a MorbarkÂŽ Horizontal Grinder and a 16-knife Quick Switch option, you can produce hardwood sawdust for wood pellet production, direct co-ďŹ re input, or animal bedding more efďŹ ciently than ever before. And what’s more impressive, you can get an unmatched 40 tons of hardwood sawdust per hour with 95% 1/4â€? minus, all day – every day. To see for yourself, go to www.morbark.com for a video demonstration and specs, or call 800-831-0042 to set the time and place to see it in action.
See it in action at www.morbark.com ÂŽ
BUILDING EQUIPMENT THAT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES
9 |2010 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 35