According to a recent Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative (WBI) study, Wisconsin can be a national leader in bioenergy production using waste from the state's prosperous agriculture and food processing sectors. In dairy cow manure alone, the report found 4.77 million dry tons available per year, which is the potential energy equivalent of replacing a large-scale coal plant. The report was part of an effort coordinated by the Wisconsin Division of Energy Services with WBI and Baker Tilly to assess the opportunity and effect of renewable energy production in Wisconsin.
Click here to download the report, titled "Wisconsin Strategic Bioenergy Feedstock Assessment.""Too often biomass assessments only provide a snapshot in time of feedstock quantity," says Gary Radloff, WBI director of Midwest energy policy analysis and project lead.
"To filter out barriers and better see what makes strategic sense for Wisconsin, the WBI looked at a combination of biomass quantity, quality, price factors and conversion technologies."
The research identified high-density biomass sources that create opportunities for regional production. These clusters present an opportunity to produce energy from waste without disrupting other state industries.
The waste can be diverted from dairy farms, food processing facilities, landfills and municipal wastewater treatment plants into biogas.
According to the Wisconsin State Energy Office's annual energy report, the state spent $18.68 billion in 2009 importing energy to support growing energy demands.
"With no fossil fuel resources in Wisconsin, it is imperative to evaluate the state's bioenergy resources," says Kevin Vesperman, division of energy services administrator in the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
"These reports provide the essential information for moving plans forward whether you're a food manufacturer, farmer or biomass developer." PD
—From UW-Madison News
