Rick Tholen: Trees are a great source of renewable energy

From the recent media stories on renewable energy, including a Reader's View by Rep. Mike Simpson (May 31), it appears that Idahoans "cannot see the forest for the trees" when it comes to potential sources or renewable energy in our state. Evidently we don't yet recognize that all the smoke that's in the air every summer from wildfires in Idaho is more than just air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It also represents a significant energy opportunity that we are forgoing.

Technology exists today to use much of the same woody biomass that burns every summer in Idaho forests and rangelands to create clean, green and renewable electricity. Biomass-fueled electrical power plants can produce three times more energy than a wind farm for the same amount of generating capacity, are more reliable and constant than other forms of renewable energy and can be scaled up and down to meet consumer demand, unlike both wind and solar energy. And woody biomass electricity generation, which is cost-effective in today's market, has one of the lowest carbon footprints of all our existing energy sources, including solar and wind energy, because when we capture this energy and replace the use of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas, we significantly reduce the overall amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere.

Burning woody biomass instead of coal can reduce sulfur dioxide emissions (the primary cause of acid rain) by more than 95 percent and nitrous oxide emissions (the primary component of smog) by more than 70 percent. And burning woody biomass under controlled conditions in a biomass-fired power facility produces 100 times less conventional pollutants than open burning, such as in wildfires or burning forest management residue in the woods.

Forest biomass is one of the largest untapped sources of renewable energy in the country. Utilizing surplus forest biomass, such as that produced as a byproduct of hazardous fuel reduction and forest health improvement projects, also reduces the damaging environmental effects of catastrophic wildfires. These fires are estimated to produce as much 6 percent of the nation's annual greenhouse gas emissions.

The media can help by better informing the public on all the opportunities for renewable energy in Idaho, including woody biomass energy. Legislation that favors woody biomass use from all ownerships to create renewable energy and put people back to work in Idaho's forests to restore their health and vigor is a win-win opportunity we shouldn't overlook.

With nearly half of Idaho blanketed by forests, we cannot afford to ignore this valuable renewable energy source here in our state. Please contact your federal, state and local elected representatives and ask them to support woody biomass energy in Idaho. And let's hear more about woody biomass energy in the media so that we all can decide what works best for Idaho.

Rick Tholen of Eagle is the education and program chairman for the Snake River Chapter of the Society of American Foresters.