A very successful future for woody biomass might mean several facilities in a region, each drawing from adjacent woodlands. Considering other wood consumers within the area, there is a limit to how many wood-fired facilities can be built based on the sustainable supply of wood within a reasonable haul distance. Woody biomass used for energy generation cannot surpass sustainable yields without depleting available resources. Once a certain-sized power plant is built, it seems unlikely that it would become “too successful” because it wouldn’t be able to exceed the sustainable capacity of the surrounding woodshed. Before building a power plant, any prospective utility must look at sustainable annual yields from various resources within a given area to determine if wood can be used as a fuel source and how big the facility should be. A utility would set itself up for an economic failure if it were to build a wood-fired power plant that requires more biomass than is sustainably available. Competition for wood resources would cause wood prices to increase, and the facility would not be cost-effective. This FAQ was adapted from Wood to Energy and used with permission.

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