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Biomass Power Generation in the United States

The July 2012 Electric Power Monthly report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that electricity generation and consumption was down 0.8 percent from July 2011 to July 2012. Year to date, 2012 generation levels are 1.6 percent lower than the Jan-July period in 2011.

Electricity generation from wood and wood-derived fuels (includes wood, black liquor and other wood waste) also fell both by month (a drop of 3.8 percent from July 2011 to July 2012) and year to date (a drop of 2.7 percent from January-July 2011 to YTD 2012). In total, 3,221,000 MWh of electricity were generated from wood and wood-derived fuels in July, an increase of 7.9 percent over June 2012. This figure represents 0.77 percent of total generation for the month, and .87 percent of total generation year to date.

Year to date, electricity generated from fossil fuels dropped by double digits--coal (-18%), petroleum (-23% to -35%) and hydroelectric (-14% to -22%). Solar (99%), natural gas (30%) and wind (16%) contributed double-digit gains. Read the most recent monthly EIA report.

These numbers are likely to increase throughout the rest of the year and into 2013. As we reported in our last issue, several large projects have become operational during the summer. The following projects, as well as several 20 MW or less projects, are currently under construction:

  • American Renewables Gainesville, Florida 100-MW biomass power plant, scheduled  to begin operations in 2013
  • The  Rollcast Energy 54-MW project in Barnesville, Georgia, scheduled to begin operations in 2012
  • The 50-MW NOVI project in South Boston, Virginia, scheduled to begin operations in 2013
  • Cate Street Capital’s 75-MW Berlin, New Hampshire project, scheduled to begin operations in 2013
  • Enova Energy and Decker Energy’s 42-MW project in Plainfield, Connecticut, scheduled for completion in 2013
  • We Energies Rothschild, Wisconsin 50-MW plant, scheduled for completion in 2013