Biomass to electricity in NH

Fading Power in N.H.

 

We are almost in the same boat here, but slightly different in that the State has a 4 year subsidy on biomass to keep the logging business going. That too is about to run out. Even then chips does not net landowners much here, $1 a ton, or about $34 for a tractor trailer truck load, and $7 a ton for the logger and $8 a ton for the trucker. yes you read that right, for every (3) trucks rolling off a land owners property, they get a $100 bill. In cords, that would be about 60 cords.

Generally I dislike subsidies because it is a short term fix for a long term problem, and generally does not work out. We have too many logging outfits, not enough places to take wood, and being the most heavily forested state in the nation, too much wood. Government is not going to cure that by using tax money to subsidize one aspect of the industry.

However there are other tangible benefits to biomass plants. As a farmer I often get the wood ash as a lime product to get the PH in my soil up. Since they need to get rid of it, and I have plenty of land to spread it on, it can be had for almost nothing. (Free, I just have to pay for trucking). It will really hurt to have them shuttered and my ability to grow my crops diminished because with less places to get wood ash, mill lime, etc; the demand will go up for those that are still operating.

 

Thanks for posting... It's certainly worthy of discussion.... Our electric bills in New England are far from cheap.. Why would we want to make them more expensive.. Despite cheap natural gas almost everywhere, the power companies have to pay a premium for it when we need it the most.... But all other times, the cheap natural gas drives out other competitors in the electrical generation market.. I'm in favor using locally sourced, locally produced products and services.. It lends to better self reliance......

 

Circumstances change, sometimes it may be worth a small subsidy to keep a local producer open, especially if it provides jobs and uses up a waste product. Keep the technology going, single sourcing energy is not a good idea.

 

Agree...

 

I agree as well.

I do think it is silly though to be ripping out the hydro power plants at the rate we are now; at least here in Maine. Part of the reason for that is how they work well with boilers to produce power for the grid. Boilers work efficiently running 24/7/365...or as much as possible. But when there is a need for more power at times of peak demand, the grid operators can call on a hydro dam to open their gates and send water down the penstocks. When the excess power is no longer needed, the gates can be shut off.

I probably will be pinning a target on my forehead for saying this, but I sure miss Maine Yankee...

 

We could probably increase our hydro power instead of decrease it... I still think that given the right circumstances nuclear has its place...

 

We have a lot of windmills here in Maine now too. I kind of like them, and would REALLY like them had my town allowed windmills to be built here. I live on a hill and they were going to put 28 windmills up, 3 windmills on me. At $1500 a month for a 20 year lease, I could easily tolerate flicker, noise and the occasional maintenance truck driving up to service them. I am pretty sure my sheep could graze underneath them without being bothered either...

Here are some over in Bingham where there are no gates, you can drive right up to the base of them...

 

A war over wood in New Hampshire

 

N.H. legislature overrides Sununu on biomass bill


The New Hampshire Legislature overrode a veto of a biomass bill by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu in a big win for the forestry industry and wood-chipping plants in the state.

The vote in the House was 226-113, just meeting the required two-thirds threshold to overturn the governor’s veto. The Senate also voted to override Sununu’s veto.

The bill required utilities to purchase a portion of their electricity from the state’s wood-burning power plants. Sununu vetoed it, saying ratepayers couldn’t afford such an “immense subsidy.”

The push for override was bipartisan.

“We know that plants are closing and hard working people are being put out of work,” Sen. Majority Leader Jeb Bradley said.

“For my progressive friends who are undecided – if you want coal plants to thrive, the best way is to let biomass go under. Don’t do that. If you want New Hampshire energy to thrive, you’ll override,” Concord Demoratic Sen. Dan Feltes said.

The Business and Industry Association, the statewide chamber of commerce and a top lobbying group, decried the vote by legislators.

“Their actions will add tens of millions of dollars to the electric bills of New Hampshire ratepayers, residential and business customers alike. Lawmakers cannot have it both ways – say they will work to reduce the cost of electricity in New Hampshire – already 50-60 percent higher than the national average, year-round – then vote to subsidize a handful of businesses at the expense of everyone else. We hope the 2019-2020 legislature will put the rhetoric surrounding the need to address high electrical energy costs into action,” BIA President Jim Roche said in a statement.

Loggers and forestland owners had said Sununu’s veto of the bill, which would require utilities to purchase a portion of their electricity from the state’s wood-burning power plants, was a severe blow to the forestry industry.

“I think 1.3 million people in this state should be disappointed with the override of that bill,” Sununu said afterwards. “This was never about biomass. This was always about the ratepayer.”

Sununu said he’s going to continue to look to lower New Hampshire’s utility rates, which are among the highest in the country.

“The strategy of this administration has been clear – we’re putting the ratepayer first,” Sununu said. “We’re going to look at everything through the lens of the ratepayer. Because what folks see on that electric bill every month impacts their lives. We have one of the most robust economies in America. That’s a great thing. But when you’re paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars a month just to keep the lights on, that isn’t right. And you need leadership at the state level to keep driving forward, trying to be innovative, trying to lower these rates.”

For lawmakers, this vote was transcended the North Country, and even the debate about electricity rates.

“This bill affects virtually every community the state in some way or another,” said Sen. Bob Guida, R-Warren.”It may not be the most efficient at this time, but once lost this source of energy will not be back. It’s a permanent kill that we’re getting here if we don’t override the veto.”

In a separate vote, the House failed to override the governor’s veto on a net metering bill, coming up a few votes short. That bill, House Bill 446, would have expanded the cap on how much electricity businesses and consumers can sell back to the grid at retail prices. Presently, those who generate renewable electricity may sell up to one megawatt at the retail price; the bill would have expended that to five.

Proponents, including most of the state’s mayors, argued that raising the cap would have allowed towns and municipalities to finance major renewable energy investments. But Sununu and others said it would unfairly raise electricity prices by saddling utility companies with higher prices that would be passed down to consumers.

While the Senate approved the override effort 21-3, it died in the House – 213-128 – just under the two thirds threshold.”

(Valley News staff writer Tim Camerato contributed to this report along with Monitor staff writer Ethan DeWitt and political reporter Paul Steinhauser.)

 

Its funny you say that. The bill he vetoed "requires New Hampshire utilities to buy energy at above-market rates from New Hampshire's six independent biomass plants".

This bill ultimately would have helped decrease power rates, not increase them. By allowing utilities to purchase power from these biomass plants for market rates it saves money for the utility which is passed on to the consumer (you).

I realize its a touchy subject but the government should not be involved in this anyway. Leave it to the free market. If these biomass plants can't be profitable at market rates than they go away, thats how free markets work. Ultimately it will balance out, maybe they'll be 3-4 biomass plants instead of 6 which will increase the amount of chips available (lower cost for the plant) which allows them to sell at market rates and still be profitable.

A lot of people claim to be small government free market minded until it effects them...then they want the government to intervene and mandate things.

If you're concerned about the high cost of power in New England (which you should be) you should be calling your representatives and voicing your support for Northern Pass. Now THAT would be a huge amount of power brought down into New England...these biomass plants are insignificant really.

 

Sweet! I can't wait for my already increased electric bill to go up even more!

I'm up about 15% this year

 

You're writing this because you understand your bill will go up BECAUSE they overrode the veto....right?

I cant help but feel like a lot of people are misinformed about this. What Sununu tried to do would ultimately have decreased our rates...the veto override is what will = higher rates.

 

Yes, me>reading

Like I said, I'm already up 15% over last year, this is just gonna stick the knife in deeper.

 

Pelham must be Liberty Utilities? Not that it matters...Liberty, Eversource, NHEC and Unitil are all on the increase. There just isnt enough power in New England for the demand...it won't get any better until more power is brought in. Its truly a shame that Northern Pass has met so much resistance...the same people fighting Northern Pass are likely the same people who complain about how high their rates are. VT Yankee shutting down was also a big blow.

 

Yeah, I have Liberty. Prices were predictable the first 2 years, then this past summer there was a jump.

Love how the moonbats keep pushing to close all the coal & nuke plants, but have ZERO backup plans to supplement that gap.

 

Do you shop around? If you switch suppliers, you can get a pretty good promo rate for the first year, then switch again.
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