2027 : Energy

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For Biomass Energy Is a Major Source of New Jobs in the Region

Biomass Energy Is a Major Source of New Jobs in the Region

The biomass push extends beyond the Park. New pellet fueled heating systems and fuel supply contracts are marketed to places as far as Albany, Watertown and Utica. Wood pellet heating systems are becoming a mainstream alternative, especially for larger buildings. All kinds of jobs are generated from wood harvesting to distribution to installation of systems and operation of larger scale plants in schools, prisons, etc. within the Park.

Influenced Scenarios

Likelihood

Evidence

Biomass Heating Facility for Ray Brook Fires Up

The long planned biomass system to supply heat to the NYS complex at Ray Brook has been completed and begun operations.  It will provide 90% of the heating needs for the complex.

Read the news story here.

Biomass Energy Plant in Lewis Cty Closed

The plant was shut down a while ago but now it is closed and the equipment will be dismantled and sold.  It was not competitive with natural gas.

Read the news story here.

Biomass Boilers Spreading Slowly

Biomass is picking up customers.  This article describes the current state of the biomass fuel business.

Read the news story here.

North Hudson Starts Up a Biomass Heat Boiler

The Town of North Hudson has started operation of a pellet boiler to heat the town garage.  it replaces an older outdoor unit.

Read the news story here.

Biomass Electricity Plant Closed

The Lyonsdale wood chip fueled power generation facility has been closed.

Read the news story here.

Tupper Lake Biomass Muni Heat Project Funded

The $1.3m REDC grant will help the village install a municipal heating system using wood pellets.

See page 77 of the 2017 REDC awards booklet here.

Chester Biomass Boiler Starts Up

The main town building in Chester how has a biomass heat system in operation.

Read the news story here.

Biomass Heat Project for NYS Ray Brook Breaks Ground

A long effort to build a biomass heat system to service the State' campus in Ray Brook is now under construction.

Read the news story here.

Adk Model Neighborhood Wood Heat Initiative Showing Signs of Success

The Adirondack Model Neighborhood Wood Heat Initiative has already installed wood pellet heating systems in various municipal buildings and will begin installing for other applicants shortly. Those who now run on a wood pellet boiler and receive external bulk delivery of pellets periodically include the towns of Bellmont, Saranac and Saranac Lake. 

Read the news story here. 

NYSERDA Increases Incentives for Wood Boilers

NYSERDA's Renewable Heat NY initiative just announced increased incentives for high-efficiency, low-emission wood boiler systems to improve the return on investment for homeowners and businesses. NYSERDA plans to boost adoption of cleaner wood-heating systems in response to the recent drop in price of heating oil.

Read the news story here. 

Town Office in Chester to Build Wood Boiler

Chester's town offices are co-located in a large former school building.  A new wood boiler will providing heat will be funded by NYSERDA.  Construction is in the fall of 2015.

Read the news story here.

New Bill Helps New York Communities Convert to Biomass

A new law passed by the New York State Senate makes it easier for New York State municipalities to finance renewable heating sources like wood pellet heating systems by extending the length of time 10 to 15 years.

The full article may be read here.

Pellet Boiler Demo Project Comes to the Park

The new project will install wood pellet heat systems in 20 homes and 15 non-residential locations.

Read the news story here.

Paul Smiths College to Build Wood Fueled Campus Heat

The wood pellet district heating system will be the first in the Park

Read the news story here.

Franklin Cty Pellet Manufacturer Funded

$150k grant for construction of  pellet manufacturing plant in Franklin County.

See page 66 of the 2014 REDC awards booklet.

Pellet Hub Project Funded

A Mohawk Valley pellet project will project large scale storage and 13 boiler installations.  $1.34m

See page 60 of the 2014 REDC awards booklet.

ADK Museum Grant to Aid Biomass Heat Project

The Adk Museum in Blue Mountain Lake is to see another grant for biomass heat.

Read the news story here.

Massachusetts Passes Wood Heat Bill

Wood thermal heating getting a boosted like other renewables in Mass.

Read the news story here.

NYS Offers $8000 to Upgrade Old Wood Boilers

The State is offering $8000 for upgrades of old smoky wood boilers with new high efficiency units.

Read the news story here.
See the program website here.

Old Forge to build district biomass heating project

Update:  This project failed to come together when it's biggest heat user decided to use propane instead.


This project will connect a number of Old Forge businesses. A similar project at the nearby Rome/Griffiss tech park will do the same thing there.

The news story is here.

Biomass Heat Savings around 50%

Biomass heat in one town hall pays for itself in under 3 winter heating seasons.

Read the news story here.

Curran Renewables Wins NYSERDA Grant for New Delivery Systems

The grant will allow Curran to deliver pellets in bulk to home storage bins using tucks equipped with blowers and tubes.  The result will be deliveries much like oil to home tanks, replacing sacks to be carried by hand.

Read about Curran here.

Local Wood Pellet Shortage Develops

News coverage suggests a local shortage of wood pellets for heat in the Glens Falls area and also in Watertown

Read the Glens Falls story here.
Read the Watertown story here.

$3m for Wood Biomass Heat Research

The $3 million will go to Clarkson, among others, to research higher efficiency and lower emissions wood heating approaches.

Read the news story here.

Tupper Lake district heating design project funded

This project was a $300k NCREDC grant under NYSERDA in 2012 and is now underway.  This is the design engineering phase.

The news story is here.

Wood Pellets for Thermal Heat Do Not Use Whole Tree Harvesting

Whole tree harvesting is environmentally controversial but the wood pellets using for thermal heat do not use whole trees.

Read an analysis here.

EPA Proposals for Next Gen Wood Stoves

Large scale biomass systems already have advanced controls but typical older home wood stoves do not.  The EPA has proposed a new set of rules for advanced small wood stoves and systems.

Read the news item here.

Renewable Heat NY Aims for Big Biomass Boost

The State's campus in Ray Brook will convert to biomass.  New incentives and financing for large customers and municipal building as being launched

Read the news story here.

Residential Biomass 'Model Neighborhood" Project Funded

The project in the Adk Park will be run by the Northern Forest Institute which has done similar projects in New Hampshire.  It will support residential biomass heat installations. A description of the work cane be found here.

This is one of 8 demonstration projects  from the regional sustainability plan done a year ago that you can read here.

Turn to page 78 of the 2013 REDC grant booklet here for more details

The ADK Museum pellet boiler project funded

This is a conversion from fuel oil to biomass.

You can read the grant description here.

Federal Biomass Thermal Bill in Process

The Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2013 is the name of  the bill, officially Senate 1007 and HR 2715.  It makes thermal biomass eligible for renewable energy tax credit programs.

Read the details here.



Watervliet Arsenal wills get biomass co-generation plant

This plan is funded and underway. It will produce heat and electricity.

You can read the grant description here.

5 Institutional Biomass Heat Projects in Hamilton/Essex/Franklin Get 1.4m

The $1.4m will pay for 5 institutional heat installations.

Turn to page 78 of the 2013 grant booklet here.

ReEnergy converts Watertown coal plant to biomass

ReEnergy Black River is a 60 megawatt plant buys wood from the surrounding region. It is in the middle of Ft Drum and can power the entire base and still have power for Watertown.


Pellet plant in Malone get energy efficiency grant

The idea for this project is to burn bark and waste at the plant to generate heat to dry the pellets at Curran Renewable Energy in Massena.  This will make the plant more efficient and the product more green.

You can read the grant description here.

North Country School coverts to biomass

This school's conversion involved a number of projects and uses wood from it's own land

Read about it here.

AuSable Valley Middle/High School and Keeseville Elementary switch

These 2 schools converted from fuel oil early for the savings.

Read the news story here.

Petrova School converts to biomass heat

This is a fuel oil conversion.  You can read the news story here. 



Liquid fuels from biomass growing

This is not a lab project anymore. Read the link to see plans for "drop-in" facilities to replace closed pulp mills and produce gasoline.  A number of these are planned for sites in the Southern states.

Read the National Geographic story describing these efforts here.

Willow plantations for ReEnergy get $470,000

These shrub willow plantation are intended to supply the Re-Energy plant in Watertown.  As an energy crop, they have to compete with the value of growing other crops like corn.

You can read the grant description here.

For Biomass Energy Is a Major Source of New Jobs in the Region

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