Branches from Ice Storm become Biomass Biofuel in Maryville Missouri

Residents of Northwest Missouri experienced their biggest ice storm in at least 40 years this December. Thousands of households were without power for a week or more as tree branches and power lines came crashing down from the weight. Northwest Missouri State University  in Maryville found  a way to help residents and save on fuel costs at the same. Years ago they built a bioenergy center that is fueled by wood or paper waste. They are 
accepting all the wood waste they can get, allowing residents to drop off branches on University property. They will then transform the debris into wood chips for fuel that can be used in place of fossil fuels to heat the campus. Residents would need to haul their branches somewhere, so this is a very efficient way to make use of biomass fuels on a local basis without incurring any extra cost for transporting the biomass. If cities, schools, hospitals, and other institutions would develop similar projects all
over North America, fossil fuel use would be curtailed considerably. Find out more about the NWMSU biomass program through this case study: Wood to Energy: Wood and Paper Trim the Energy Bill.