Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- June 12, 2007
Wood offers big biofuel potential in Pennsylvania (:51)
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Suggested Intro:
THE PUSH TO DEVELOP BIOFUELS HAS PENNSYLVANIA ON THE CUSP OF A POTENTIAL ENERGY WINDFALL. THAT WORD FROM A WOOD SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES. CHUCK GILL REPORTS:
Story:
(:08) PENNSYLVANIA HAS ABOUT 500-MILLION TONS OF LOW-USE WOOD CONTAINED IN SMALL-DIAMETER TREES THAT COULD BE HARVESTED AND TURNED INTO ENERGY.
(:12) THESE TREES HAVE LITTLE VALUE TO THE STATE'S LARGE HARDWOOD INDUSTRY, AND PENN STATE WOOD PRODUCTS RESEARCHER CHUCK RAY SAYS A SUSTAINABLE HARVEST OF SIX MILLION TONS ANNUALLY COULD PRODUCE SIX MILLION MEGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY :
Ray Actuality:
(:18) "OR YOU COULD PRODUCE 300 MILLION 40-POUND BAGS OF WOOD PELLETS, WHICH WOULD BASICALLY HEAT EVERY HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA EVERY YEAR. OR YOU COULD SUPPLY UP TO 18 WOOD-ETHANOL PLANTS, WHICH WOULD PRODUCE ENOUGH ETHANOL TO SUPPLY ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF THE DEMAND FOR THE WHOLE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR OVER THE NEXT 10, 15 YEARS."(:13) RAY SAYS SOME SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS ALREADY HAVE REDUCED ENERGY COSTS BY BUILDING WOOD-FIRED HEATING PLANTS. AND HE SAYS SUCH PROJECTS COULD BE SCALED UP TO THE COMMUNITY LEVEL TO INCLUDE CO-GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY. FROM PENN STATE, I'M CHUCK GILL.
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