HomeMy WebLinkAboutMcGrath Central Wood Heating Dev Phase III Progress Report 2013 REF Grant 2195403McGrath Central Wood Heating
Project Development Phase III
Grant Agreement # 2195403
Attachment 2 Progress Report Form
Grantee: McGrath Light & Power Company
Grant # 2195403
Period of Report: August 2012 - May 2013 Report 21- Final ML&P
Finalization of all reports and development of a briefing paper are under way.
Completion occurred March 2013.
1. Project Activities Completed: After a review of the incremental difference
report between the current heat capture system and adding a biomass boiler
system demonstrated that the best financial solution is already in place with
heat capture. ML&P has decided to move forward with developing additional
information for management to make a future decision regarding the scale of
potential biomass heating systems and is interested in exploring possible
electrical generation, however this is not part of the current grant. AWEA
has developed a suggested path forward for ML&P to follow to develop the
information necessary for management to make decisions on the final design.
2. AEA has stated that the funds in the grant cannot be used to even explore
potential electrical options for generating electricity from biomass. Thus
ML&P has requested AWEA to:
Write a brief on all info collected to date for the MTNT and ML&P Boards that
include the following:
➢ Review all of the components of a biomass program including harvest,
forest management and boiler operations;
➢ Review potential business structures;
➢ Review harvest methodology;
➢ Review Environmental Impacts;
➢ Compare a district heat utility to a biomass power generation system and
what potential technologies available today;
➢ Specifically review putting a Garn system in Captain Snow and what that
would take and benefits and understanding if this grant can be used to
develop a final design for a Garn installation for the City.
Project Activities Completed to finalize ML&P project:
The following final reports have been prepared and submitted to ML&P:
• A Conceptual design and feasibility report with a supplemnt that compares
the financial opportunity of the origianal proposed system, the current heat
capture system, and the incremental cost benefit of adding a biomass
component and increasing the heat loop;
• An environmental assessment support document for wood harvesting;
Existing or Potential Problems:
The ML&P and grant manager intended to retire and thus moved from McGrath.
The communication between the City and ML&P did not move forward until April of
2013 when it was decided that the grant would be closed through ML&P due to lack
of interest in continuing the project and shifted to the City of McGrath to install a
stand alone heating system at the Captain Snow. Little activity on the project
occurred from September 2012 till March 2013 when final reports were filed with
ML&P. Based on actual inerest from ML&P and restrictions from AEA on electrical
analysis, the final reports were limited to EA support Document and a final
feasibility and conceptual/schematic design.
Activities Targeted:
[None remain for ML&P at this time.