The Peru Gazette

Saratoga Springs, NY — On April 3, at the 2nd annual Northeast Agricultural Biomass Heating Seminar at the Northeast Biomass Heating Expo, Netaka White, Bionenergy Program Director of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, will speak briefly about the recently released USDA Agricultural Research Service report on heating with switchgrass in the Northeastern US.

“The report did a good job of analyzing energy return, greenhouse gas emissions, and the economics of using switchgrass to heat homes and businesses instead of fuel oil,” White says. “Moving toward a renewable energy source is in keeping with energy efficiency goals set by President Obama.”

The USDA ARS report, issued by a team of researchers led by Phil Adler with the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit in University Park, PA, compares the costs of generating energy by coal, natural gas, fuel oil, and switchgrass cubes, briquettes, and pellets.

The day-long Northeast Agricultural Biomass Heating Seminar will present speakers on agricultural biomass crops production and biomass combustion from Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ontario.
Switchgrass is among the biomass sources that will be featured in the discussions.

The New York Biomass Energy Alliance is sponsoring the event with the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Credit East, Catskill Grass Energy Project and Ernst Conservation Seeds.
The seminar is open to the public. The agenda and online registration are at www.nebiomassheat.com/events.php. -30-