An interesting debate is taking place in Eugene over plans to build a $45 million dollar wood-fired power plant.
The timber company Seneca wants to build the plant at its sawmill operations north of the city. It says it wants use leftover waste wood from the mill and burn it to generate electricity. Sounds pretty good, right?
But in this story from the Register Guard, we also learn that the plant is expected to emit more than 400 tons of pollutants a year. Some environmentalists say the plant could even encourage logging of old growth forests. Despite the concerns, the plant may be eligible for a $10 million tax credit from the state.
After reading the story, check out this well written OP-ED piece by Erik Silverberg with the sustaineugene.org website.
GUEST VIEWPOINT: Wood isn’t a wise choice for energy
