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GASIFICATION 101: Rep. Welch often refers to Middlebury College and its biomass gasification system as a perfect example of how to use locally sourced fuel to save on energy bills. The gasification system saves the college about $1 million a year.
agriculture. He has served Vermont, which is in the biomass-rich northeast region of the U.S., since 2007. Vermont has an existing bioenergy industry and a solid base of constituents interested in renewable energy. According to Welch, Vermont is a good source state for harvesting biomass and it’s a model for producing efficient energy through biomass. The representative specifically mentions Middlebury College’s biomass system in Middelbury, Vt., as a good example of how biomass-derived energy is beneficial to the community. The college strives to be a sustainability leader and considers its biomass gasification plant to be a milestone in carbon neutrality. The gasification system uses locally obtained woody biomass as a fuel source, and provides power and thermal energy to the campus. Twenty percent of the college’s electricity needs are provided through the high-pressure steam produced by biomass gasification. The institution previously used fuel oil, however, with the gasification system it has reduced its dependence on oil by half, saving roughly $1 million per year. Welch stressed that Vermont has been an example of how renewable energy initiatives help the local economy. Middlebury reports that its system cuts carbon dioxide output by
40 percent while simultaneously stimulating the local, renewable energy economy.
Call for Members Through their personal and business experiences, Bass and Welch determined there was a need to focus on biomass at the legislative level. Earlier this year, the congressmen issued a joint call for members, to elevate awareness and involve other legislators with similar bioenergy interests. In a joint press release, the representatives emphasized that biomass “is part of the key to breaking America’s dependence on foreign fuels for transportation, electricity and heating,” as America deals with the rising cost of foreign fuels and the decrease of conventional energy sources. The release also stressed that biomass is a homegrown resource available to every community in the nation. The term biomass was first introduced by Congress in 1978 as an alternative fuel that can be produced from many sources including crops, crop residues, plants, algae, wood and wastes such as animal, food and yard wastes. “Green energy is the next step towards American energy independence, and biomass represents a viable and economical option,” the representatives stated. Providing several unique benefits of biomass production,