News

MASS. MARKET: Biomass power isn’t just a Western Mass. Issue

BOSTON — As political leaders strive to make the region more energy-independent in 2010, there’s no question solar panels and wind turbines will be part of their vision. But the role that wood-fueled power plants can play is increasingly becoming a topic for heated debate. The state Department of Energy Resources informed biomass plant developers a month ago that it would delay certifying those projects as renewable energy sources for up to a year. The agency had just hired the Plymouth-based Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to study the issue and wanted to take the controversial topic off the front burner until Manomet reports back this spring. (Click here to read this entire front-page story that ran in the Patriot Ledger’s business section.)

Biomass Study Kicks Off

Story Published: Dec 17, 2009

It was standing room only inside Holyoke's Holiday Inn as residents heard from the experts. The non-profit group Manoment, based out of Maine, was hired by the state to study the pros and cons of bringing wood-burning plants the state. Click here to see story…

Agency seeks ways to adapt as climate warms

Backed by a $750,000 grant from a national foundation awarded earlier this month, the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences is seeking to develop adaptation strategies for the region’s forests, agriculture, rural development policies, and conservation lands.

Click here to read entire story in Globe South.

Manomet a Key Partner in Northern Forest Watershed Services Project

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) and four partners are the recipients of a $500,000 USDA Conservation Innovation Grant grant to support a $1 million effort to restore, enhance, and protect aquatic resources in two critical watersheds in the Northern Forest region: the Upper Connecticut River watershed in Vermont and New Hampshire, and the Crooked River watershed in Maine. Read more…