PSC Approves Biomass Conversion at Bay Front
Power Plant
MADISON - October 30, 2009
In a unanimous decision today, the Public Service Commission of
Wisconsin (PSC) approved Northern States Power Company-Wisconsin's (NSPW)
proposal to install the nation's largest biomass gasifier, a system that
will produce synthetic gas from biomass for the production of
electricity at the company's Bay Front Power Plan in Ashland, Wisconsin.
The PSC’s decision today will allow NSPW to convert one of the plant’s
coal burning boilers to one that generates electricity from burning a
variety of wood types found in Wisconsin. The new biomass gasifier will
be able to produce 20 megawatts of electricity from biomass fuel
sources, while producing an additional 8 megawatts through the use of
natural gas.
“This project swaps out 20 megawatts of old, boutique coal for locally
grown biomass, keeping ratepayers’ fuel dollars in Wisconsin,” said
Chairperson Eric Callisto. “Our ratepayers send over a billion dollars
out of state every year to buy coal for power generation. Today’s
decision helps keep more of those dollars here in Wisconsin.”
“The technology approved today uses a fuel resource that is plentiful in
Wisconsin and in close proximity to the plant,” said Commissioner Mark
Meyer. “When considering the many positive impacts to using homegrown
fuel sources and the projects profound reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions into Wisconsin’s atmosphere, today’s decision is really in the
best interest of the state as a whole.”
“We are at a critical crossroads in energy policy,” said Commissioner
Lauren Azar. “Every decision we make today needs to be considered in the
context of the fact that we will soon be engaging in a transformation of
our energy infrastructure. I believe this biomass gasifier will be a
component of Wisconsin’s energy future.”
The technology approved at the plant has been developed over the past
half century and is being used throughout the world because of growing
interest in clean, renewable energy. Hundreds of biomass gasifiers are
in operation globally, with most of them found in Asia and Europe at
small-scale plants that provide comparatively small amounts of heat or
electricity to farms and small industries. To date, the use of biomass
gasifiers for the production of electricity in the U.S. has been
predominantly small in scale, although some larger units have been
installed in recent years.
Documents associated with NSPW’s application can be viewed on our
Electronic Regulatory Filing System at http://psc.wi.gov/. Enter case
number 4220-CE-169 in the boxes provided on the PSC homepage, or click
on the Electronic Regulatory Filing System button.
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