Atlas of Maine

Article Title

Availability of Biomass for Colby's Steam Plant

Authors

Avery Beck, Colby College
Becky Forgrave, Colby College

Abstract or Description

Colby has just built a new biomass plant, and is committed to sourcing the wood from no more than 50 miles away. The plant is expected to need 22,000 tons of biomass annually. The question we chose to investigate is how much biomass is available within 50 miles, and whether Colby’s biomass use will have an impact on the surrounding forests. To quantify this, a GIS analysis was carried out using land cover and woodlots data. The 50-mile distance was measured in two ways: a radius from Colby and using roads.

About the Author

Avery Beck (’14) is a Global Studies and Environmental Studies: Policy double major, with an interest in food policy and environmental ethics. She is originally from Chappaqua, New York.

Becky Forgrave (’14) is a sophomore from Seattle, WA. She is an Environmental Studies/Science Major with a focus in chemistry.

Rights

In Copyright

Recommended Citation

Beck, Avery and Forgrave, Becky "Availability of Biomass for Colby's Steam Plant," Atlas of Maine: Vol. 2012: No. 2, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/atlas_docs/vol2012/iss2/10