Originally published November 29 2005
Vail considers installing a biomass plant
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Vail Mayor Ludwig Kurz discusses the possibility of a biomass power plant in Vail that would run on the excess firewood that now clutters the town.
VAIL - We know pine beetles are here in the Vail Valley.
And we know they're not going anywhere until they kill most of the lodgepole pine trees.
The ramifications of these pesky bugs could be devastating.
There are environmental concerns of fire, erosion and water contamination, and there are the economic consequences: vast bare tracks of land leaving an eyesore, plaguing a community that relies on its scenic beauty for income.
But there may be a silver lining - power.
All the dead wood the beetles will leave behind could be used to produce heat and even electricity for the town of Vail.
The vast amounts of wood could feed a biomass plant, which uses organic material to produce power, said former Vail Mayor Ludwig Kurz.
"It's a very doable idea," Kurz said.
"There's a tremendous amount of potential firewood that isn't good for much else than burning.
It would take something that is a negative at the moment, a visual blight, and turn it into something that could be positive for the community."
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