Approvals are nearly there!
The first woody biomass power plant in western Colorado.
"A woody biomass power plant is one step closer to becoming a reality in Gypsum after Tuesday's town council meeting.
Members of Eagle Valley Clean Energy LLC presented their plans and asked the council to approve an annexation for a 94-acre parcel directly east of the American Gypsum wallboard plant along the Eagle River.
With council members Dick Mayne and Tim McMichael absent, the rest of the group passed a resolution to initiate the annexation but tabled a vote on the final proceedings until Feb. 28.
If everything goes as planned, the relatively small power plant would only occupy the west end of the property, potentially leaving the rest for open space, and would be operational by 2014. A woody biomass plant burns a variety of wood — “forest waste, agricultural waste and clean urban wood” — to create electricity.
“Colorado has needed something like this for a long time and this plant would be among the first in the state, maybe the first,” said Bill Carlson of EVCE. Carlson is the principal of Carlson Small Power Consultants, and has started biomass plants all over the country. He said the west coast is currently the heaviest user of biomass energy, with about 45 in California.
Per year, Gypsum's plant would produce a gross of 11.5 megawatts and be able to sell 10 megawatts to Holy Cross Energy after using 1.5 megawatts to power itself. A 20-year electricity sales agreement with Holy Cross is already worked out, said Dean Rostrom of EVCE.
“So far, we have a power purchase agreement completed, a site secured and fuel supply studies finished,” Rostrom said...."
(Derek Franz)
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