This document summarizes a presentation on growing biofuels in the Finger Lakes region. It discusses how to make incremental progress toward more sustainable biomass utilization without triggering unsustainable practices. It suggests considering socio-economic innovations like community organizing and different land management approaches. It also examines current land use in rural Tompkins County and landowner preferences regarding biomass markets. Design goals for a sustainable local energy system are outlined, and examples of biomass production and use technologies are provided.

1. How Should it Grow?
Biofuels in the Finger Lakes Region
Presentation for
Finger Lakes Bioneers Conference
October 16, 2009
Krys Cail

2. How can we best make incremental
progress on a regional, state and national
level toward some practical, workable
biomass utilization?
Can we begin substituting some biomass
use for some fossil fuel use, without
triggering other unsustainable practices
that will lead to future problems?

3. Socio-economic innovation to spur
development/transition
• effective community development and
community organizing—localized approach
• serious consideration of landowner
preferences
• instituting and promoting different
approaches to land management
– landowner cooperatives or management
consortia
– biomass companies contracting to manage land
for individuals under individual contracts
– CSE (Community Supported Energy--
something of a consumer coop)

4. In many counties in NYS, a significant portion
of the acreage is under no discernible
management plan currently– landowners lack
time or money to do anything in particular to
manage the resource.
Will emerging biomass markets change
that?
How? Who will decide, and on what basis?
Are there potential risks as well as potential
gains?

7. Current land use, rural Tompkins
County (self-reported)
C u r r e n t L a n d U s e A c tiv itie s
O t h e r e n t e rp ris e , 4
A g ro -t o u ris m , 8
N u rs e ry / G re e n h s e , 1 1 Agricultural
D e ve lo p m e n t , 1 6
C a m p in g / C a m p s it e s , 2 5 Development / non-ag commercial
V in e y a rd / o rc h a rd , 2 6
P o u lt ry , 2 7
Private enjoyment / conservation
D a iry , 3 0
L a n d U s e A c ti v i ty
Xm a s t re e s / M a p le , 3 7
V e g e t a b le p ro d u c t io n , 6 0
In ve s t m e n t , 6 2
H o rs e s / s t a b le s , 6 2
L ive s t o c k , 6 5
In c o m e , 6 8
R e fu g e , 1 1 5
F o re s t ry , 1 2 4
L e a s e t o fa rm e r, 1 4 6
F ie ld c ro p s , 1 6 7
H ik in g / R e c re a t io n , 1 8 7
F ire w o o d , 1 9 7
R e s id e n c e , 1 9 7
O pen S pac e, 197
H u n t in g / F is h in g , 2 0 2
P riva c y , 2 1 0
W ild life , 2 2 4
A p p re c ia t in g N a t u re , 2 2 4
0 50 100 150 200 250
R e sp o n se s

8. Income realized from property, rural
Question 3- Income Realized from Property
Tompkins County (self-reported)
primary income no income
7% 7%
partial income
14%
enough to pay property
taxes 15%
negligible income
57%

9. Anticipated future land use, rural
Tompkins County (self-reported)
Campground, 12
Nursery/Greenhse, 14
Xmas tree, 16
Agroforestry, 18
Agricultural
Donate easement, 22
Development / non-ag commercial
Maple, 34 Private enjoyment / conservation
Land Use Activity
Green enterprise, 36
Energy production, 42
Sell lots, 48
Build a house, 55
Sell entire parcel, 64
Forestry, 119
Hiking/recreation, 156
Conservation, 188
Agriculture, 192
Hunting/fishing, 199
0 50 100 150 200 250
Responses

10. Land, labor and capital in a bi-annual
cycle of biomass production and use
Begin 2-
First Winter
year Cycle
Labor
Land
Capital
Second
Winter

11. Design Goals
Common Sense Energy Future
Do No Harm
A system that is at least 85% efficient end to end;
A robust and resilient network with no single points of failure;
Based on demand management, conservation and efficiency first,
and then on renewable, carbon neutral fuels with no contribution to
global climate change;
Requires full life cycle accounting from construction to
decommissioning, and including all waste disposal and handling;
Creates and strengthens opportunities for local and regional
workforce development and increases the base of sustainable jobs
with livable wages within the local community.
Imposes no environmental or economic burdens or risks on future
generations.
jock@jockgill.com
(802) 613-1444
P.O. Box 3 / Peacham / Vermont / 05862

12. Pelleting Press-- EnviroEnergy

13. Grass Pellets-- EnviroEnergy

14. Grass Briquette Press- BHS Slugger

15. Wood Chip Boiler– ACTBioenergy

16. Tub Grinder for Turning Waste Wood
or Logs Into Wood Chips for Fuel
McDonald Contracting
Elmira, NY

17. Trucking Grass Pellets Home
―They burn
grass pellets
in Danby,
don’t they?‖

18. CENTRAL NY REAL-TIME NEWS
Breaking Local News from Syracuse & Central New York
Gov. David Paterson signs
"Green Jobs" bill in North Syracuse
By Delen Goldberg / The Post-Standard
October 13, 2009, 1:09PM

19. ―The electric industry is poised
SMART
to make the transformation from
a centralized, producer-
controlled network to one that is
less centralized and more
consumer-interactive. The move
to a smarter grid promises to
change the industry’s entire
business model and its
GRID
relationship with all
stakeholders, involving and
affecting utilities, regulators,
energy service providers,
technology and automation
vendors and all consumers of
electric power.‖
http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/DOE_SG_Book_Single_Pages(1).pdf

20. Distributed generation is the use of
small-scale power generation
technologies located close to the
load being served, capable of
lowering costs, improving
reliability, reducing emissions and
expanding energy options.
http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/DOE_SG_Book_Single_Pages(1).pdf

21. EFFICIENCY: If the
grid were just 5%
more efficient, the
energy savings GLOBAL
would equate to COMPETITIVENESS:
permanently
eliminating the fuel The European Union has an
and greenhouse even more aggressive ―Smart
gas emissions from Grids‖ agenda, a major
53 million cars. component of which has
buildings functioning as power
plants. Generally, however,
these countries don’t have a
―legacy system‖ on the order of
the grid to consider or grapple
with.
http://www.oe.energy.gov/DocumentsandMedia/DOE_SG_Book_Single_Pages(1).pdf

22. Monsanto Under Investigation For Antitrust Abuses
by The Associated Press
October 8, 2009
James A. Finley/AP
Critics say St. Louis-based Monsanto
has used its market clout to squeeze competitors.
The Justice Department is investigating whether Monsanto
Co.violated antitrust rules in trying to expand its dominance of the
market for genetically engineered crops.
Monsanto has provided interviews and documents to the Justice
Department over the past two months, company spokesman Lee
Quarles said. He said the department has questioned Monsanto
about its marketing tactics in the biotech seed industry, which have
become a target of criticism.

23. From Elinor Ostrom, first woman to
win the Nobel Prize in Economics:
―When local users of a forest have a
long-term perspective, they are more
likely to monitor each other’s use of the
land, developing rules for behavior,‖
Ms. Ostrom said in an interview. ―It is
an area that standard market theory
does not touch.‖
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/business/economy/13nobel.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=Elinor%20Ostrom&st=cse

24. For more info:
www.tclocal.org
―Burning Transitions‖
Krys.Cail@gmail.com