<<  <  >  >>

Biopower plants

tory of economic competitiveness that pre-

serious misgivings about biopower as a

dates the air quality movement, although in

major electricity alternative because of a

are more

today's political discussion they are often

potential problem of deforestation, occa-

expensive than

lumped together with wind and solar power

sional competition with recycling facilities

well-sited wind

as renewables for "sustainable energy devel-

for waste disposal, and air emissions.

opment." Ironically, wind and solar advo-

Fuel cells, while perhaps further from

projects but far

cates who do not favor hydroelectricity

market penetration than other renewables,

less expensive

(which comprises almost 90 percent of total

hold potentially greater promise. Several

world renewable generation) can be said to

fuel-cell technologies are commercially

than solar plants.

be more critical of renewable fuels per se

available for distributed generation so long

than are fuel-neutral, free-market energy

as a liquid fuel is available. The electro-

proponents.

chemical devices that convert energy to

The most prominent of existing "exotic"

electricity and usable heat without requir-

renewable fuels is biopower. Biopower is

ing combustion are actually a competitor to

biomass converted to electricity (often,

wind and solar projects on the one hand

municipal garbage converted to electricity

and gas microturbines and diesel genera-

in incinerator plants) as opposed to the

tors on the other.

simple burning of wood, dung, and other

Fuel cells have a number of technical

waste feedstocks for cooking and heating.

and environmental advantages. They do

Today, biopower is the second largest

not have moving parts and are easy to

renewable energy next to hydropower in the

maintain. They can be sized for a home or

United States and the world.

for a large industrial facility. Fuel cells can

Although scattered biopower projects

be run on a variety of fuels, including

existed before 1978, it was the Public Utility

methane, natural gas, and petroleum.

Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 that put

(Natural gas is the most probable input

this energy source on the map.1 1 2 That fed-

where it is available.) They are noiseless.

eral law, which applied to other renewables

They convert energy into electricity relative-

and certain nonutility nonrenewables,

ly more efficiently than do other generation

required utilities to purchase power from

processes. And since fuel cells are more

"qualifying facilities" at the utility's "avoid-

energy efficient and do not require com

-

ed cost," which in an era of higher fuel

bustion, they are environmentally superior

to fossil-fuel plants and microturbines.1 1 5

prices locked in favorable economics for the

waste-to-energy plants. These first-genera-

Those advantages are lost on the econom

-

tion plants have been characterized by their

ic side. The average cost of a fuel cell today is

"high costs and efficiency disadvantages" in

around $3,000 per kWh when $1,000 per

comparison with conventional energies.1 1 3

installed kWh is necessary for market pene-

tration. Subsidies from the Department of

Like nuclear power, the biopower industry

Energy for as much as one-third of the total

is an artificial creation of government poli-

installation cost ($1,000 per kWh) have been

cy and would never have emerged as a sig-

necessary to attract interest.116 The fuel cell

nificant energy source in a free market.

Biopower plants are more expensive

for stationary electricity generation is a back-

than well-sited wind projects but far less

stop energy source that competes against

expensive than solar plants. The current

unconventional technologies more than con-

generation of biopower projects has an esti-

ventional ones at present. To break into the

mated cost of around 8 cents per kWh ver-

marketplace, fuel cells must become compet-

sus wind plants at around 6 cents per kWh

itive against another natural gas user--micro-

(prime sites without tax preferences) and

turbines. But "where very strict air emissions

solar at 30 cents per kWh or more.1 1 4 As

requirements apply, fuel cells may be the only

option for distributed generation."1 1 7

noted earlier, the environmental lobby has

20