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Wood power provides a host of benefits

IN 2010 Michigan's wood-fired power plants produced 964,485 megawatt hours of electricity. That's nearly 24% of all the state's renewable power; nearly three times more than all the state's wind turbines, and nearly one percent of all the power delivered to Michigan homes and businesses that year.*

SOCIAL

  • Michigan's wood-fired power plants provide a fifth of the state's renewable energy

  • That's enough power for 100,000 average homes

  • It replaces power from coal plants

  • Uses 2 million tons of waste wood a year that would otherwise go to landfills

ENVIRONMENTAL

  • Greenhouse gas mitigation: 5.5 million tons a year (CO2 equivalent)

  • Reduces need for landfill space

  • Puts waste material to beneficial use

  • Aids forest health

ECONOMIC

  • Provides 140 direct jobs and a 200 additional jobs in fuel and
    forest-related jobs

  • Pumps $63 million a year into local economies...

$29 million on fuel

$14 million in payroll & benefits

$8 million on local goods, services & taxes

*Source: U.S. Energy Information Agency, 1990 - 2010 Net Generation by State by Type of Producer by Energy Source (EIA-906)