The Biomass Energy Project, which will bring hundreds of family supporting jobs to the Rothschild area, moved forward last week as the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) issued a final decision on the project.
The project would create a biomass-fueled power plant at Domtar Corporation’s Rothschild pulp and paper mill site. Wood, waste wood and sawdust will be used to produce electricity to power the nearby paper mill. Wood is a renewable resource that can be used as fuel to produce electricity, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving forest health.
"This project will bring hundreds of needed jobs to central Wisconsin,” explained Michael Bolton, United Steelworkers Director, District 2. “Wind, solar and biomass are the energies of the future. It is refreshing to see Wisconsin invest in the clean energy economy which not only increases our nation's energy independence but spurs job growth for our local communities."
We Energies also committed last week to begin the engineering and equipment orders that are necessary to maintain the project schedule. Parts for a boiler need to be ordered so that construction of the plant can be completed by 2013.
Domtar Corp. is planning to present the biomass project and the new conditions set by the PSCW to its Board of Directors for approval within 45 days. No construction activities will occur on-site until Domtar Corp. and its Board of Directors make a final decision.
"Using biomass to generate electricity offers a long-term solution that is both good for the economy and good for the environment. These are the jobs of the future, and we’ll do everything we can to help this project move forward," said Gary Ruhl, North East Wisconsin Building and Construction Trades Council.
Over 400 construction jobs and 150 permanent jobs will be sustained during the construction and operation of the plant.
The project is the result of a labor/management coalition group which worked together to create an outline for the project.
“When labor and management come together to talk about problems, creative solutions and mutual benefit are often the result,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “The biomass energy project is a perfect example of good jobs being created right here in Wisconsin through a business and labor coalition effort.”
Why should working people care?
The biomass project is expected to create 400+ construction jobs over the 2.5-year building process and approximately 150 permanent jobs in fields supporting the operation of the biomass facility once constructed (forest management, logging, transportation).
On top of that, this project will help retain the current jobs connected both directly and indirectly with the Domtar facility. Domtar's Rothschild pulp and paper mill and the associated Lignotech chemical facility directly employ 460 men and women at family supporting wages. Roughly 800 external jobs rely on the economic impact of the mill.
Even local residents who aren’t directly employed by the project stand to benefit. Once the biomass plant is in service, both the Village of Rothschild and Marathon County will receive an annual payment based on the megawatt capacity of the facility, and that money can be used to support vital public services
What is biomass?
Biomass is a plant-based energy source. In this case, it is the tree tops and branches left after logging takes place and clean or the untreated left over material from wood manufacturing such as bark or shavings.
Domtar and We Energies are partnering to build a biomass-fueled cogeneration facility, which will produce steam to run the paper mill and electricity for commercial use.
Combined heat and power cogeneration is a more efficient use of biomass fuel than producing steam and electricity separately. In addition to a smart use of a renewable resource, the new facility will use the existing Brownfield site on the Domtar property and share the mill’s infrastructure and resources.
Domtar currently burns 130,000 tons of clean woody biomass each year to generate steam for their facility. Domtar produces 50,000 tons of biomass through their paper-making process and purchases an additional 80,000 tons annually.
Opponents of the project cite air quality as one of their objections. However, with the combination of the biomass facility’s air quality technology and the retirement of Domtar’s existing boilers, the new facility is projected to reduce the overall emissions from the mill site by approximately 30 percent. Ambient air quality is also expected to improve as shown by analysis that includes the effects of truck traffic.
The construction jobs are short term
The local level of pollution will more than double- 20 tons of particulate matter to 46 tons
There is a power surplus in Wisconsin, this is a scam to bill power users higher rates
This incinerator will burn paper mill toxic sludge, directly across the street from an elementary school
The people who will bring in the wood are from other communities
The local people, in Rothschild, who need work will probably not be hired
Posted by: Jack Stone | 05/27/2011 at 08:26 PM
Interesting point of view by both the author and Jack Stone, I'll have to watch this more closely.
Posted by: CMMS Software | 01/04/2012 at 08:09 AM
Even before we reach the paper mill factory the hversting of trees for paper has already done the triple damage ie to air , water and land oops
Posted by: Jahson Smith | 10/18/2019 at 07:17 AM