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Show as an alternate energy fuel. At present prices of fossil fuels, a cost reduction up to 50% can be realized if biomass fuels are used. To put it another way, 50% of present fossil fuel costs could be added as profit after capital investment payback for conversion, if necessary, is completed. 1.5 Effect of Expanded Use of Wood as an Alternate Energy Source on Forest Production The standing volume of quality wood referred to as growing stock is approximately 12 billion cubic feet. There is an additional 2.5 billion cubic feet of rough, rotten and cull tree volume plus an additional volume of understory and unrecorded species volume. Annual growth in growing stock volume amounts to about 618 million cubic feet. Current harvest accounts for 370 million cubic feet or about 6 2% of growth. Forest biomass available is based on waste generated from timber harvest, wood removed from inventory and not used in forest products manufacturing, urban wood not included in the inventory, rough, rotten and cull trees, and finally, that volume of growth which can be used for fuel. The future potential is even more promising. Presently, the regenerating growth rate is about 33 cubic feet per acre. If waste, culls and other available biomass are used, forest landowners will be able to reforest and manage their lands better with the results that the wood potential as an energy source can easily be doubled without affecting our forest availability. 1.6 Suggested Method of Introducing Wood as an Alternate Energy Source to State Government An analysis of energy consumption by all Florida state agencies during fiscal year 1977-78 shows that the fuels 26-8 |
