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County mulling downtown biomass plant

Commissioners OK $225K feasibility study

By Stephanie Rice
Published: July 1, 2010, 12:00am

Clark County commissioners agreed Wednesday to spend $225,000 of a federal energy block grant on studying the feasibility of building a biomass-fueled power plant in downtown Vancouver.

The biomass boiler system would be fueled by tree tops, limbs and the detritus of producing lumber and would generate steam to provide central heating, cooling and domestic water heating for five county buildings: the Public Service Center, courthouse, jail, 911 center and the juvenile courthouse.

The plant would be located at the former Corwin Beverage Company buildings at West 12th and Harney Streets, west of the jail. The county bought the four Corwin buildings several years ago.

The county would be looking for a private partner to operate the plant and buyers for the excess power generated by the 3.75-megawatt plant, said Mark McCauley, general services manager.

Commissioners agreed to do a detailed study of the proposal after expressing their own reservations and hearing cautionary words from administrator Bill Barron, who reminded the commissioners that they would have to assume debt to build the $10 million- to $18 million-dollar plant.

The county still has debt for a sewage treatment plant, the Public Service Center, the Center for Community Health and the Clark County Events Center, Barron said after the work session. The commissioners are on track to meet their goal of having $1.7 million in the general fund balance at the end of the year, but have other work, namely road projects, for which they’ve talked about taking on debt.

When the county bought the Corwin properties, they were eyed as the future site of a new courthouse or expanded jail. Barron told commissioners Wednesday that court filings have leveled off and jail bookings are down, so law and justice needs have stabilized.

If the county built a power plant, it would have to build a new parking lot for jurors, who currently park at the Corwin property, and scout other sites for future county buildings.

Earlier effort

Last year, county commissioners ditched a plan to build a 20megawatt biomass power plant on the site of a former plywood mill in Chelatchie Prairie. In April, Amboy entrepreneur Bill Kravas said he’s formed a new company, Chelatchie Green Energy, to pursue the county’s dropped plans. Kravas hired Vancouver consulting firm LD Jellison to study the project’s feasibility; the same firm, along with Schneider Electric of Seattle, is studying the idea for the downtown plant.

McCauley said the scale of the north county plant was larger than what commissioners wanted to tackle, and the county looked at other sites for a smaller biomass power plant before deciding the downtown location would be the best option because it’s so close to the five large county buildings.

A preliminary study has shown that the county would save an average of $179,136 a year in reduced natural gas and electricity costs, or 10.5 percent of the county’s total annual energy bill.

McCauley said the county would be one of the few public entities in the United States to produce more green energy than it consumes.

The study showed the county uses approximately 1.47 to 1.75 megawatts, and the balance generated at a 3.75 megawatt plant could be sold to a public or private utility purchaser such as Clark Public Utilities, Iberdrola Renewables or Seattle City Light.

Mick Shutt, spokesman for Clark Public Utilities, said Wednesday that utility officials have talked with county officials but haven’t taken a position on the project.

McCauley stressed to commissioners that even if the study shows that building a plant would be a smart move, the commissioners could still vote “no.” He said doing the detailed study would answer questions about debt, air quality and other concerns. He said the county wouldn’t move forward without agreements with a private operator and a buyer for the excess power.

Commissioner Tom Mielke expressed the most concern.

“Right now, we’re living month to month,” Mielke said.

McCauley said he expects to have the study finished by November, at which time Mielke and Commissioners Steve Stuart and Marc Boldt can decide whether to give the project a green light. He said he’ll keep commissioners updated, and if a deal-breaker pops up, such as a lack of a private operator, then that will be the end of it.

Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.

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