Xcel Energy to convert coal plant in Ashland to biomass

Xcel Energy said today it has received permission to build the Midwest's largest biomass power plant in Ashland, Wis.

[Incredible70]

$58 million to product LESS power? I sure love the way we have been hoodwinked into believing this is progress...

[Burn Wood Instead]

Well, score a victory for the TIMBER industry. This special interest JOKE that is deemed "environmentalism" is just another hoodwinking of the American public. I used to think, "Gee, its for the environment," but when you see who the true benefactors are, you see that it is anything BUT environmentally sound. How about we use HEMP for fuel? It grows like crazy, needs no chemicals, has a myriad of uses, and does not deforest the planet like the timber industry.

[Hemp Hemp Hooray]

Is this being funded by tax payers dollars or will the 50 thousand homeowners be footing the bill. By all means you can't tell me Excel is planning on paying for this.

[Why is it]

Hemp Hemp Hooray wrote:

Is this being funded by tax payers dollars or will the 50 thousand homeowners be footing the bill. By all means you can't tell me Excel is planning on paying for this.

They probably had a large infusion of capital from the timber industry to pay for at least part of it. Spend $58 million to make much more. It's all part of the business model.

[truth]

If this could justify another rate increase I'm all for it, the less of my paycheck I see the better. Hey Xcel already wants another increase, property taxes up value down, funny how everybody else seems to justify a rate increase, except my employer who tells me I should just be happy to have a job and accept a pay reduction.

[jmikk]

I grew up across the street from that power plant. We were never able to hang our laundry out to dry because of the coal residue that would end up on it. I'm quite happy to hear about this because, aside from the coal issue, there's a fair amount of logging waste that ends up in landfills. This will be a much better use of resources.

[Incredible70]

Hemp Hemp Hooray wrote:

Is this being funded by tax payers dollars or will the 50 thousand homeowners be footing the bill. By all means you can't tell me Excel is planning on paying for this.

In the end, the consumer pays for all the costs of operation of Xcel. It will be spread across all of their customers, but we will be paying for it. Yes we can!

[Alan Muller]

Other things being equal, "biomass" is a dirtier fuel than coal. Not a good idea....

[Hemp could help]

i've done research. biomass if used correctly is cleaner than coal. pretty much no matter how it is used it is cleaner than coal. the only thing it can be dirtier is natural gas. a problem with this is if they use only biomass from the ashland area it will use 1% of the standing biomass. this may seem insignificant and sustainable, but over a few years that percentage will only grow and in the long run it is far from sustainable. i'm glad they are taking an iniciative though. hopefully they find a renewable resource for their fuel. as for hemp, i doubt the government will allow it's growth for biofuel before any other helpful use of it.

[Livin Woodbury]

Drill baby Drill ;)