Biomass power plant proposals floated in the Flathead

The prospect of significant new energy production in the Flathead by biomass plants has been in the news in recent weeks, but this is not the first time the idea has been seriously explored.

F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. has proposed generating up to 12 megawatts of electrical power in a co-generating plant that would replace the 100-year-old boiler at its Half Moon sawmill.

Co-generating facilities typically capture waste heat from industrial processes and use it to produce energy for other processes inside a mill or factory or for outside distribution. Stoltze needs to produce steam for its wood-drying equipment, but it could also produce electricity for sale to Flathead Electric Cooperative or NorthWestern Energy.

By RICHARD HANNERS – Whitefish Pilot

Full Story: http://www.flatheadnewsgroup.com/articles/2009/03/20/whitefishpilot/news/news_8762598013_01.txt