In a move that has been seen both as questionable and beneficial by the locals, Arizona has allowed the building of a renewable energy power-plant, fueled mostly by wood, and is expecting it to be completed by December of 2007. Arizona Corporation Commission has begun enforcing stricter guidelines for utility companies in order to attain its goal of having 15% of the state’s energy being produced from renewable resources by 2025. The obvious downside of such a plant would be the emissions, a point of concern shared by many Arizonians. “We certainly wouldn’t want to see Arizona put all its eggs in the biomass basket,” said Sandy Bahr, conservation outreach director of the Sierra Club. “I don’t think that biomass plants are really a good energy solution per se because clearly there are still issues with emissions.”
The plant plans to use scrap wood, small eucalyptus trees, and recycled paper. The problem arises, however, when this limited supply of fuel runs out. Bahr shared this sentiment by saying, “Do they start looking at, ‘Well maybe we should take the last of some of these big trees?’”
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