Book details viability of wood to energy market in southern wildland-urban interface areas

The USDA Forest Service and the University of Florida today unveiled a new book that gives utility and energy companies, planners, investors and others the latest information on the viability of the wood to energy market in wildland-urban interface areas of the South. The free book, titled "Wood to Energy: Using Southern Interface Fuels for Bioenergy," is posted online at: http://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_srs132.pdf.

"This book provides some of the most recent research on using wood to produce electricity in urbanizing areas of the South, areas often referred to as the wildland-urban interface," said Annie Hermansen-Baez, a Forest Service science delivery specialist and co-editor of the book, based in Gainesville. "My co-editors and I hope that this book will help increase awareness of the potential uses for woody biomass in the southern wildland-urban interface, remove barriers that exist, and promote the development of bioenergy systems in a region where forest resources abound."

Christie Staudhammer, assistant professor of forest biometrics at the University of Florida, is lead editor and author of several chapters of the technical report. Staudhammer co-edited the book with Hermansen-Baez, science delivery coordinator with the Forest Service's Southern Research Station, InterfaceSouth; Douglas Carter, professor of forest economics and management with the University of Florida; and Edward Macie, Forest Service regional urban forester.

"Wood to Energy: Using Southern Interface Fuels for Bioenergy" addresses topics including woody biomass sources in the wildland-urban interface; harvesting, reprocessing and delivery of woody biomass in the WUI; biomass conversion to energy and fuels; the economic availability of woody biomass; economic impact analysis of woody biomass energy development; and public perceptions of using wood for fuel.

Provided by USDA Forest Service