The statement that "there are few viable markets for small diameter trees" is not entirely accurate. It depends on the region of the Sierra where a project is located. As one moves north, there are sawmills that have power plants that utilize wood chips, as well as straight biomass power plants (i.e. Westwood, Burney, Wendel).
With the high cost of fuel, most biomass mechanical thinning projects now require a subsidy from the landowner, because the revenue from the chips does not cover all of the logging/hauling costs. The viability of these biomass and/or co-generation plants is dependent upon the cost of power. When the price of fuel and energy goes up, these biomass power plants become more viable if there is a sufficient supply of raw material.
Market for small diameter trees
The statement that "there are few viable markets for small diameter trees" is not entirely accurate. It depends on the region of the Sierra where a project is located. As one moves north, there are sawmills that have power plants that utilize wood chips, as well as straight biomass power plants (i.e. Westwood, Burney, Wendel).
With the high cost of fuel, most biomass mechanical thinning projects now require a subsidy from the landowner, because the revenue from the chips does not cover all of the logging/hauling costs. The viability of these biomass and/or co-generation plants is dependent upon the cost of power. When the price of fuel and energy goes up, these biomass power plants become more viable if there is a sufficient supply of raw material.
Phil Nemir