Letter: Other options for power plant conversion
3:48 PM, May 31, 2013 | http://www.ithacajournal.com/article/20130531/VIEWPOINTS03/305310047/Letter- Other-options-power-plant-conversion * Thank you for updating the community about the Cayuga Power Plant in your May 21 edition. The article considers retrofitting the plant for natural gas, but there are other options: wood biomass or waste-to-energy conversion. Both have advantages. In the case of biomass, wood could be harvested from regional forests and shipped to the plant. As our region becomes more reliant on intermittent solar and wind, biomass might provide a renewable backup source that could smooth out overall electrical output. It could boost our region economically since the plant would require an ongoing biomass supply. In the case of waste-to-energy, regional solid waste currently sent to the massive Seneca Falls landfill might instead be sent to Cayuga and converted to electricity. This option would avoid burning fossil fuels and also reduce space required for landfilling. The technology has become much cleaner in recent years. Either option could use the existing railroad for deliveries. The effect on residences along the track would need to be studied, such as the number of trains required per week. However, using the train would avoid building a new gas line as envisioned for the proposed gas retrofit. Also, unlike natural gas, the fuel supply would be available for the long term. I have made available a full detailed report from a Cornell master of engineering student project at _www.lightlink.com/francis_ (http://www.lightlink.com/francis) . FRANCIS VANEK SENIOR LECTURER, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL O For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom Shelley, at [email protected].
