About the Michigan Wood Energy Project
Removed urban trees and industrial wood residues created about 7.5 million cubic yards of wood waste in southeastern Michigan in 2005 alone. The emerald ash borer has already killed 15-20 million ash trees in Michigan, creating huge volumes of wood in need of disposal. Where does all of this wood go?
According to a report from Michigan Technological University, forestry residues and urban wood waste in Michigan have the potential to supply nearly 6 million dry tons per year of fuel for the state. This represents a huge opportunity for communities to address the state’s growing energy needs while also creating a thriving renewable fuels industry.
A Sustainable Choice for Wood Wastes
In response to the emerald ash borer crisis, the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) began work on its Ash Utilization Options Project in early 2004. This project reduces wood waste disposal costs for communities, promotes sustainable use of urban wood resources, and creates economic development opportunities for the area. The project has been very successful in creating new market opportunities for EAB-impacted ash wood and in building public support for urban wood utilization programs. While sawmills and communities are now working together more often to create lumber and other high value products from removed urban trees, a tremendous amount of lower-value wood is still generated from traditional and urban forestry efforts, the manufacturing sector and other industries. What if all of this wood could be put to good use?
An Opportunity for Biomass Energy
The Southeast Michigan RC&D Council contracted with CTA Architects and Engineers in spring 2007 to conduct a study of wood use potential in Michigan's boiler systems. CTA evaluated the state’s boiler inventory database to identify the top 35 potential wood energy projects in each county of the state. The Michigan Wood Energy website is a result of this project and features CTA's Final Report, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and the Wood Energy Calculator, a tool for generating site-specific initial feasibility assessments.
Major funding for the Michigan Wood Energy Project is provided by the USDA Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center and the USDA Forest Service Economic Action Program. Funding for the website and educational tools is provided by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth's Energy Office. Significant additional technical assistance has been provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
About the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council
The Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Council is a non-profit organization that helps the people of southeast Michigan care for, conserve, and protect their natural resources in a way that will improve the community's economy, environment, and quality of life. RC&D provides a framework for partnerships between local citizens, governments, and technical experts to solve resource concerns and to manage and utilize resources wisely.
Although Resource Conservation and Development Councils exist nationwide, each one is organized and directed by local people to meet local needs.
More information about the Ash Utilization Options Project may be found on the Council's website.