Group provides comments on California Energy Commission and Public Utilities Commission bioenergy proceedings.
Both the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Energy Commission (CEC) are engaged in proceedings related forest based bioenergy.The Woody Biomass Utilization Group has been active in providing feedback on the proceedings.
CPUC SB 1122 Proceedings
The CPUC is developing an implementation plan for Senate Bill 1122 (SB 1122). In early April, a consultant report was authored by the consulting firm Black and Veatch assessing resource potential and cost for SB 1122 as well as a draft template Levelized Cost of Electricity calculator.
"The intent of this analysis is to determine the likely availability of resources and projected cost of electricity for projects eligible for the SB 1122 tariff. Implementation issues to be resolved prior to tariff availability and allocation options are also considered."
In a letter to the CPUC, UC Berkeley Center for Forestry staff Peter Tittmann addressed important technical shortcomings of the B&V report. Particularly in regards to the method for assessing the gird interconnectivity issues by county.
CEC Staff Workshop on Status of Bioenergy Development in California
The CEC presents an Integrated Energy Policy Report or IEPR every two years and is responsible for tracking progress towards goals established in the Bioenergy Action Plan. Commission staff hosted a workshop on the status of bioenergy development in California on June 3 soliciting feedback from industry, agency, and academics. Dr. Tittmann presented on the final panel focusing on technical feasibility and environmental issues related to forest bioenergy in the State. His presentation is available here.
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