The dead trees the beetle epidemic left around Colorado are but one source of biomass — a renewable energy source that exists in sufficient quantity to use in the Roaring Fork Valley, according to a group of area nonprofits that spent more than a year studying its viability.
The Roaring Fork Biomass Consortium presented its findings at a press conference Monday at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. An afternoon-long Regional Biomass Summit (see below) is planned for Wednesday in Carbondale to present the consortium’s conclusions to the public and delve into the opportunities presented by biomass, and obstacles to its use.
The consortium formed in May 2010 and obtained a $19,320 grant from the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office to explore the local feasibility of biomass. The funds were leveraged to conduct a study that cost about $100,000 — a sum that includes in-kind work by consortium members. Outside consultants also worked on the effort.
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