Community Woody Biomass for Thermal Usage Program
The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) offers the Community Biomass for Thermal Usage Program for promoting and developing community-scale bio-heating projects in Colorado. The GEO will work closely with several projects throughout the state to support the utilization of community woody biomass (including wood chips, pellets and cordwoord generated in Colorado) in a bio-heating project. Projects that will use annual forest thinnings, wood waste (including but not limited to bark beetle kill) and urban waste are encouraged to apply.
Although biomass can be widely defined, this funding will only be directed to woody biomass as fuel for heating. Projects that make an effort to use community produced wood chips, cordwood or Colorado manufactured pellets (when available) will be given priority. Projects that are considering cordwood systems will need to provide additional air quality information (contact the GEO for details). Projects that include supply from fuel-reduction, restoration activities, local collection sites, and/or projects that demonstrate long term availability of biomass supply will be given high consideration. Residential or large industrial projects will not be considered for this program. If you are interested in a biomass heating project for a large industrial facility, please contact the GEO for information about how it can support your project.
There are numerous advantages to using community wood for heating projects. Bio-heating projects provide alternatives to slash pile burns, wildfire mitigation and prescribed burns while supporting local wood-fuel markets. In addition, wood used as fuel is considered carbon neutral since the same amount of carbon dioxide is emitted when burned as is absorbed as the tree grows. When woody biomass is used to offset fossil fuels, the net effect is lower carbon emission. Lastly, developing a local wood-fuel market helps create local jobs, allowing for more money to stay in the community.
What is the Community Biomass for Thermal Usage Program?
The GEO understands that even when communities have local supplies of biomass available, numerous barriers can keep a bio-heating project from being implemented. One of the largest barriers identified is the initial capital cost of the project. As a solution to this problem, the GEO has allocated $175,000 from the Clean Energy Fund for the implementation of bio-heating projects. Projects in need of technical or financial support are encouraged to apply.
The intention of this program is to provide the final push of financial or technical support needed for a project. In very rare instances this funding will be used to cover the cost of a feasibility study or economic analysis of a project. In order to receive an award, solid financial support from multiple stakeholders must be committed. The GEO funding from this program will be awarded after a thorough internal and third party review of the project has occurred. The GEO anticipates that between eight and ten bio-heating projects will be awarded funding in state fiscal year 2009.
To see examples of past projects that have been funded through this program, visit this section's Projects in Colorado page.
How to Participate
If you are interested in the Community Biomass for Thermal Usage Program, an Interest Form must be submitted to the GEO. The Interest Form can be found in the Partnership Opportunities section of this website. Submission of the Interest Form does not commit you to becoming a partner with the GEO, but rather informs the GEO of your project and interest in scheduling a follow-up meeting to discuss the program in more detail.