Coal plants are being converted to biomass as fast as … “fast-
growing, bio-engineered cottonwood trees” (see “Another coal
plant to be replaced by a ‘plant’ plant!” and “Southern Company
embraces the only practical and affordable way to ‘capture’
emissions at a coal plant today “” run it on biomass“). Another
one bites the dust: The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
(PSCW) has unanimously approved Xcel Energy’ss application to
install biomass gasification technology at its Bay Front Power
Plant in Ashland, Wis. When completed, the project will convert
the plant’s remaining coal-fired unit to biomass gasification
technology, allowing it to use 100 percent biomass in all three
boilers and making it the largest biomass plant in the Midwest.
Currently, two of the three operating units at Bay Front use
biomass as their primary fuel to generate electricity. The
project, estimated at $58.1 million, will require additional
biomass receiving and handling facilities at the plant, an
external gasifier, minor modifi