Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 2, 2006 Lumber mill to generate its own electricity By Paul Fattig Mail Tribune CAVE JUNCTION — The Rough & Ready Lumber Co. plans to build a steam-generated power plant capable of providing electricity to some 700 homes. The firm, which has been operated by the same family for three generations, would fire up the 1.2 megawatt boiler and generator in the fall of 2007. In addition to providing the steam needed for its two sawmills and lumber dry kilns, the plant would generate electricity for sale to the Pacific Power grid. The nonprofit Energy Trust of Oregon Inc., which focuses on changing how Oregonians use energy by promoting energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy, is providing $1.7 million in seed money for the project, which is expected to cost $5 million. The firm is applying to the Oregon Department of Energy for a business energy tax credit of $1.25 million, or 25.5 percent of eligible project costs. The project is expected to pay back its cost in energy savings in four years, said Link Phillippi, Rough & Ready's president and general manager, in a prepared statement Tuesday. "We are going to be generating clean, renewable power, preserving healthy forests and bolstering our local economy," he said. "It's good all the way around. We're thrilled to be selected by Energy Trust and to be partners in this project." For the power plant, the firm, which is six miles south of Cave Junction and has 85 employees and manages about 30,000 acres of forestland, would need a new high-pressure boiler, a turbine generator, boiler mechanical and electrical controls, fuel handling and storage equipment and air-quality control features. Rough & Ready currently operates a wood-fired low-pressure steam boiler, which produces no electricity. The new boiler system will require 30,000 bone-dry tons of burnable material each year with roughly half coming from sawmill trimmings and the remainder from fuels from treatment and thinning operations on nearby public and private forests, according to Phillippi. "This is a very intriguing project," said Chip Dennerlein, director of the Siskiyou Regional Education Project, a Josephine County environmental group which has taken the firm to task over environmental issues in the past. "I credit Rough & Ready for thinking creatively, for adapting," he added. "It's a new approach. They are responding to a new interest in biomass." But Dennerlein cautioned that he would be concerned if the project would drive resource policy by "vacuuming" the forest of its wood. "Like all other projects like this, it depends on the basic principles by which you approach it," he said. "But there is a lot of work to be done in the woods around here to reduce fire (threat)." He was referring to over-stocked forestlands, the result of more than a century of suppressing wildfires. Wildfire experts say over-stocked stands have created prime conditions for catastrophic fires. "If this is done well, this material should be utilized," Dennerlein said of thinning small-diameter trees around rural communities. "It's often thick and choked and not diverse. That could well be a biomass byproduct not otherwise utilized." Adam Serchuk, biopower program manager for Energy Trust, said it's not unusual for sawmills to generate power from wood waste. "What's new about this is it's a small family-owned operation — you typically see this with large corporations," he said. However, he noted there is a growing interest around the state in figuring out how to connect energy needs with forest management, particularly using brush and small diameter trees. "Part of Link's vision is to supplement wood waste with that forest source, keep the mill financially viable, produce clean renewable energy and contribute to the health of Southern Oregon's forestland," he said, adding, "We think it's a good project." Phillippi said in the prepared statement that he has been looking for the right opportunity to invest in more efficient technology to make the business more competitive. "Until now, the cost of capital for a project of this type was just too high for a small business like ours," he said, noting the funding from Energy Trust helped overcome that financial hurdle. The majority of the firm's lumber products are sold to remanufacturers for doors, windows and specified cuttings. Its products are distributed throughout the United States as well as to Japan and Europe. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or at [email protected] Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help