Renewable Energy Technology: Potential Growth Area for Tacoma?
The Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company has come a long way. They’ve cleaned up pollution and reduced their contribution to the Tacoma Aroma. And now, their diversification into renewable energy production has drawn the attention of the Department of Energy.
Last Thursday Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman visited Simpson to tour their biosolids boiler, according to a report from the TNT.
Poneman said Simpson’s biomass-powered boilers are an example of the diverse kinds of energy sources President Barack Obama favors to solve the nation’s demand.
The Simpson electricity generation facility is the nation’s largest single combined heat and power renewable energy project built in the U.S. in the last decade, according to the USA Biomass Power Producers Alliance.
We won’t claim to be experts on all the latest when it comes to the intersection of energy and the environment, but here are a few items that have us thinking…
Biomass boilers aren’t a perfect technology; but they do represent a source of renewable energy, which is good for energy independence, and in many cases waste reduction. On the other hand, the burning of biosolids comes with the emission of greenhouse gasses – too high a price, according to some. From what we understand of the Simpson process, it uses existing waste products to produce power (for processes in the plant and for sale) through both heat and steam.
Last week we read reports that the senate voted against delaying the implementation of more stringent EPA regulations on coal producers. According to a New York Times article earlier this year, it has been suggested that raising the bar on emissions from coal plants could significantly curtail that industry, turning more demand to other sources of power.
The Obama administration’s proposed rule to control greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants — the first ever — could go far toward closing out the era of old-fashioned coal-burning power generation.
EPA supporting documents (pdf) for the regulations note that “This proposed rule is consistent with the President’s goal to ensure that ‘by 2035 we will generate 80 percent of our electricity from a diverse set of clean energy sources – including renewable energy sources like wind, solar, biomass and hydropower, nuclear power, efficient natural gas, and clean coal.’”
The main debate seems to focus on coal versus gas plants, but the president has voiced support for alternative fuel sources. And natural gas has been challenged on the grounds that the supply is less reliable than coal. Add to that the fact that in recent weeks federal officials have been making visits to biomass and other alternative power facilities around the country – including Simpson Kraft Tacoma – and you have a picture of a potentially emerging growth industry… maybe?
Perhaps this is an opportunity for Tacoma. Perhaps Simpson can keep the innovations coming, and lead the way towards energy production from biomass that is both renewable and green.
Read even more on the Simpson Tacoma Kraft biomass plant here (pdf).
Previously from Exit133: Potential Federal Regulations: Good for the Environment, Bad for Business?
Filed under: Green Tacoma, Tacoma Business, Port of Tacoma
9 comments
C Chris June 27, 2012
One thing to keep in mind for renewable energy is that it is very difficult to grow new sources when the market price for power is only $25/MWhr.
This is why some types of energy conservation, which can be acquired for a little over half that, is still feasible and cost effective, while plopping solar cells in the back yards of Tacoma may not pencil out.
What would help is if you could use the energy to power a demand sector that is predominantly fueled by liquid hydrocarbons now – say the transportation sector.
It’s funny, if my memory serves, the power for Tacoma’s old cable car system was initially run out of a power house that ran on biomass.
T talus June 27, 2012
It’s stupid to have an pulp mill in the middle of a pretty big city with not-so-infrequent stagnant air episodes. But perhaps they’re getting as green as an extremely poorly sited and inevitably smelly operation can get.
Also, is burning human waste in the middle of a highly populated area a good idea?
J JJ June 27, 2012
I’d like to see the city of Tacoma utilize the energy wasted as water storm drainage for micro hydro generation plants.Considering how much rain we get here that could be a lot of energy (going down the drain he he) wasted as of now.Might as well use all that flowing water to turn some turbines.
G Grae June 28, 2012
@JJ, I too have envisioned such a solution, especially for this hilly and rainy corner of the states. Energy generation from rain and gravity would be amazing. I’d like to think that some kind of storm water reservoir (kind of like an urban damn or something) could be constructed that has drains lined with turbines; or an artificial river bed, probably fairly narrow and deep, with micro dams every few hundred feet. Now to find a company to actually R&D that. Conversely get the city to invest into making such a solution viable, instead of finding ways to hold water in streetside pits aka “rain gardens”. As potentially nice those things may be, rain power seems so much wiser. Fanciful thinking I’m sure, but hey the world needs more dreamers and thinkers to keep us moving ahead right?
J JJ June 28, 2012
@Grae here is the thing.It’s predicted that in decades to come there will be little Glacial Melt in the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains due to global warming and the disappearance of the Mountain glaciers.It would be unsettling to see a barren rocky Mount Rainier if we witnessed such an event right now.Therefore our current hydroelectric dams across the state will actually have less water to power them reliably in the future.However it’s expected (predicted) that we will have more rainfall within our region though.Weather wise it may seem unpleasant to have too much rainfall and more dreary days locally but it’s a blessing in another way especially to combat power shortages with another form of environmentally friendly renewable energy.We don’t have a local region here directly good for solar power or wind power on average but one thing that we can rely on for many days is rain.
This is what we could do perhaps as a local renewable replacement (storm drainage power) at least it’s a viable possibility though how much power it could provide to the grid is an unanswered question .Someone within our city should be working on this problem to help solve future needs.
T talus June 28, 2012
I would be very, very, very surprised if flows from urban stormwater runoff are constant enough or concentrated enough to make it worth the investment in micro-hydro. Besides, the bigger need is to let runoff and the pollution it carries get filtered out in the ground so it doesn’t run off into the Sound all in one big dirty slug of water. Rain gardens, permeable pavement, and daylighting of stream corridors is a better direction to go.
G Grae July 11, 2012
@talus, it is something worth at least researching though; dismissing an idea because it is untested is a backwards thought. Also there is no reason why the 2 systems, micro-hydro (or whatever its called) and rain gardens/permeable pavement (which sounds really exciting, i’ve never heard of such a thing)/day lighting could not be integrated. For instance, have the water collected under the permeable pavement as well as storm drains lead to an open artificial riverbed(lined with turbines of course) that ends up collected in a rain garden, acting as reservoir for the small scale damns, before being filtered back out into the sound. The costs of such an undertaking would no doubt be massive, however it would (hopefully) prove to be a replicated and respected urban innovation. The stakes are too high and potential rewards too enticing to not at least dedicate some R&D.
@JJ, such a sight would be rather shocking, but it is not an unanticipated one; for all glaciers melt over time and the process seems to only be quickening. So i’m glad we’re in agreeance.
L low bar July 11, 2012
if stink can be poured into my prius then, yes
G Grae July 17, 2012
Turbines on the bridge is brilliant!