Gregor Macdonald, a researcher, investor, and writer in the energy sector recently published his February monthly issue, Energy Supply and Individual States. In a brief summary of the report, Macdonald writes on his blog, “While many news organizations and investment houses have started to address more concertedly the financial woes of the US States (comparing them by scale to similar pressures in Europe) I have made an effort to add the energy component to the problem of debt and revenue collapses now facing such states as California, Illinois, and Florida.” He concedes that even though some states (Wyoming, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Colorado) produce more total energy than they consume, the other states, the ones that consume much more than they produce, requires critical, and often over-looked, examination.   When gas and oil prices rise, it is states like California that suffer from capital flowing out of the state, and states like Colorado that prosper. Gregor’s ultimate point is that California’s energy balance is more reflective of the entire United States than states like Colorado.

As we become more focused on shifting the Nation’s energy reliance from fossil fuels to alternative forms of energy, the ability of each state, or at least each region to produce as much energy as it consumes is increasingly significant.  Clean technology advancements gives states the ability to capitalize on new forms of energy production using local resources, making them less reliant on importing fuels, thus improving their energy balances and stopping the flow of capital out of the state.   Researching, developing, and deploying alternative energy technologies locally, such as advanced waste gasification facilities, are excellent examples of how states can take advantage of abundant resources right in their backyard, to improve their energy balances.

Massachusetts, like California, is a significant importer of energy; however, unlike California, the Commonwealth has no fossil fuel resources. Massachusetts is a prime example of how innovative clean technology developments can positively impact the State’s energy balance. While the State  is a leader in generating electricity from landfill gas and municipal solid waste, we still have a long way to go to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels derived outside our borders (EIA).  Nationally, Massachusetts is recognized for the development of cutting-edge renewable energy technology, the key is making sure we focus on effectively deploying the technology right here in the Commonwealth.

According to carpet industry estimates, approximately 4.7 billion pounds of carpet are discarded in the United States annually (EPA). Of that 4.7 billion, it is estimated that only 3.8% of the carpet waste is recycled. Carpet waste poses a massive challenge for the efficient handling, collection, and recycling of the material due to the bulky nature of the material and the fibers and chemicals used to manufacture carpet.  Difficulty in recycling the material is compounded by the fact that carpet manufacturing and recycling operations are concentrated in the southeastern U.S., and markets for the post-recycled material remain weak (EPA).  As a result, recycling the material is not only logistically challenging, but also it is often not economical.

Photo: David Humber

Recognizing that diverting carpet waste from the landfill has a long way to go,  carpet industry members, along with government officials, and non-governmental organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship (MOU), in January, 2002. The agreement set forth a landfill diversion goal of 40% by 2012. They note the MOU is the “the first step in the eventual elimination of land disposal and incineration of post-consumer carpet.” Ze-gen’s Liquid Metal Gasification (LMG) process represents a possible method to increase carpet waste diversion, while using the material in a beneficial manner. The ground-up carpet material may be used as a feedstock, blended with primary feedstock materials, such as a wood waste, to create a high-quality syngas that can be used in a wide range of industrial applications.

Recently, at the TED 2010 conference, Bill Gates spoke about his one wish: “Innovating to Zero.” Gates declared the need for “energy miracles.” These innovative miracles differ from other miracles like the personal computer and the Internet, in that there is a need to work at full speed to develop a solution to energy production with zero carbon dioxide emissions in a pretty tight timeline.   There are five technologies he highlights: carbon capture and storage, nuclear, wind, solar photovoltaic, and solar thermal.

One notable omission, in our opinion, is gasification.  While Gates does not mention biomass gasification or biofuels as part of the big five, it remains an important part of the energy solution. Biomass gasification is considered carbon neutral because the CO2 is biogenic in origin and sequestered as new trees and plants regrow.   Yes, biomass gasification faces some obstacles in widespread commercialization like Gates mentioned, however, it offers significant advantages as it is a reliable source of energy that does not require large scale capital investment or face intermittent production challenges.