An Online Siting Tool Application for Woody Biomass-to-Electricity Facilities in California
Online, open-source decision support tool for siting woody-biomass-to-electricity plants in California.
Regents of the University of California, Davis
Recipient
Davis, CA
Recipient Location
3rd
Senate District
4th
Assembly District
$1,184,414
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
UC Davis has wrapping up the development of the Forest Resource and Renewable Energy Decision Support System (FRREDSS) and submitted the final report on August 2023 for publication. The proof-of-concept siting tool is limited to the Sierra Nevada region due to current woody biomass data availability at the level of granularity required for the tool's functionality. UC Davis is seeking resources to expand development of the decision support system. The FRREDSS site is located at the following url: https://forestdss.ucdavis.edu/.
The Issue
It has been estimated that $650,000 of up-front capital is necessary in the current investment landscape to develop a biomass-to-electricity project to the point at which private capital will invest. Much of those costs are related to evaluating feedstock supply, harvest methods, transportation costs, and grid capability. Many businesses and communities that aspire to produce energy from woody biomass are small businesses, start-ups, or communities that cannot easily afford the preliminary studies necessary to assess project feasibility and how to begin development.
Project Innovation
This project developed a decision support system that aims to reduce the soft costs of estimating and planning new bioenergy power plants that consume woody biomass from sustainable forest management activities. The open-source facility-siting tool is available online and allows users to quickly evaluate economic feasibility and environmental performance potential of locations for developing a wood-based biomass power plant. The project final report includes case study analysis to understand feasibility and barriers to developing biopower facilities in high-risk hazard zones.
Project Goals
Project Benefits
This project sought to increase the cost competitiveness of biopower plant projects and result in expanded opportunities for using biomass waste streams. The online and open application architecture is available to ensure that everyone has open, public access to this resource.
Affordability
This bioenergy facility siting tool was developed to help achieve lower costs for renewable biomass electricity generation by reducing the cost of siting a bioenergy facility, including costs related to feedstock supply and capital costs.
Environmental Sustainability
This tool sought to expand opportunities for using biomass waste streams that would otherwise contribute to criteria air pollutants and higher levels of climate pollutants from prescribed burns or wildfire.
Safety
The bioenergy facilities can reduce risk of wildfire impacts to grid infrastructure by facilitating markets for residual woody biomass, thus reducing a potential wildfire fuel source. This decision support system aims to assist the project development activities and reduce soft costs associated with siting such facilities.
Key Project Members
Boon-Ling Yeo
Subrecipients
The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of the Berkeley Campus
University of Maryland
Match Partners
Regents of the University of California, Davis
