Projects and Partners to Monitor (part III)

** This is the third in a three part blog series on regional biomass based on our Forest Futures Salon in September 2023. See recording here.

Our regional agencies and on-the-ground partners have been grappling with this issue and working to align our local understanding of the issue and generate solutions. Here is a short list of projects and partners that we are currently tracking:

North Tahoe Truckee Biomass Task Force – A partnership that supports agencies seeking to construct biomass facilities by creating a space for knowledge sharing to accelerate the build of biomass outlets. TTCF is a member of this Task Force.

Cabin Creek Biomass to Energy Facility – Treat 18,000 Bone Dry Tons (BDTs) per year; produce 2,000 tons of biochar per year; 2 megawatt gasification to electric facility – this energy will be used to charge the future TART electric bus fleet.

Northstar Community Services District Wood Energy Facility – Treat 3,800 BDTs per year; 2 megawatt boiler facility – this energy will be used to heat 14 buildings in The Village at Northstar (targeting energy production in 2025 pending permits and funding).

CAL FRAME (California Forest Residual Aggregation and Market Enhancement) – A study being led by Placer County and Placer County Water Agency to assess ways to more efficiently connect biomass coming from forest restoration projects to outlets for use. The vision is to create a pilot aggregation entity that will support the contracting process between entities doing on-the-ground fuel reduction work and wood product businesses (March 2025 anticipated final report).

Town of Truckee Feasibility Study – This is a partnership between Truckee Donner Public Utilities District, Town of Truckee, Truckee Fire Protection District, and Truckee Tahoe Airport District. Early stage study on ways to utilize the estimated 10,000 BDTs per year generated by fuel reduction projects of the partners – potential bioenergy plant at the Public Service Center in Truckee (October 2023 anticipated report and recommendation).

Alpenglow Timber Wood Product and Thermal Energy Facility – Small Diameter Sawmill will support 1,500 acres of restoration per year; create 6 full-time jobs; produce 5.4 million board feet of lumber per year (targeting 2025 pending permits and funding).

A Key Element in Moving Forward

Addressing our regional biomass will play a pivotal role in fostering healthier forests and resilient communities in the Tahoe Truckee region. Biomass utilization can provide more diverse economic benefits, while creating sustainable solutions for forest management. As we move forward, we will continue to monitor the data, partnerships and on-the-ground solutions that address biomass and the adoption of modern technologies that can truly transform our region for the better.

If you have questions or would like to learn more about woody biomass, please contact Forest Futures Director, Nicole Miller, at nicole@ttcf.net.

Read regional biomass blog #1.

Read regional biomass blog #3.