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Can grass fuel the North Country economy?
By Rachel Riley
By now, especially with the recent oil disaster off the Gulf Coast, it is becoming clear that alternative energy sources are a must. But, what is available and how do we make the move from an old reliable?
Many have turned to wood pellets as a way to keep the stove warm in the winter. But have you ever considered grass?
St. Lawrence County Grass Energy Working Group thinks that grass pellets can work just as well, if not better than wood… and it’s a resource that can be produced quickly, efficiently, and can replenish itself.
Firstly, Grass pellets may be made from switchgrass hay or even lower quality hay that is sun-dried prior to harvest. What that means is a clean, natural product that is easily made into pellets. Secondly, farmers could benefit greatly with a new grass market, and money from pellet sales and hay purchases will stay local.
The study group predicts that one acre of grass could fuel a house for the whole year. If there is one thing St. Lawrence County has, its land mass. There is at least 14,500 acres of grassland in St. Lawrence County that could be used for grass pellet production. That could also mean a revived value to abandoned dairy farms, reminders of when a small operation could make it in the economy.
The possibilities seem endless at this stage of the game, but many say that if there is a demand, the supply will have to be relatively close by. Distribution could be an issue if the idea takes off. That may mean a revival in the self-sustaining small farm.
The Cornell website for grass energy, http:grassbioenergy.org states that it takes 70 days to grow a crop of grass pellet fuel and it takes 70 million years to grow a crop of fossil fuel.
The downside to grass pellets are that they do produce a small amount of pollutant in the air but it’s significantly lower than coal or petroleum, and large ash deposits after burning. The only stoves that are capable of handling grass pellet burning are corn burning stoves. Wood pellet stoves don’t accommodate the amount of ash build up from grass pellets.
Cornell scientists and the Grass Energy Working group are still researching the pros and cons for all steps of the process. The potential positive impact for the county has yet to be challenged.
Could grass be the future?
Let us know what you think. Are grass pellets a good idea?
Visit the websites www.slcgrassenergy.org and http://grassbioenergy.org for more information and respond to the Tribune-Press with a letter to the Editor.
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