Residents concern over proposed biomass plant in California

Questions are being raised by the residents of Truckee, California about potential health implications over a proposed new renewable energy project.

A meeting between residents and Brett Storey, project manager of biomass programmes at Placer County, took place in August. The new facility would convert wood debris from forest service thinning projects into sustainable energy.

Storey relayed the results of a health impact assessment which helped to allay some of the residents’ concerns, while saying the project ‘would help keep local forest fires low or even away completely while improving the air quality’.

Storey also revealed that the project would not impact the local economy as it plans to pay for itself via the sale of the energy generated by the county.

A final decision on the biomass project is still to be decided.