Forest Resource and Renewable Energy Decision Support System: An Online Application for Decision Support in Siting Woody Biomass to Electricity Facilities in California

Decisions to build biopower facilities, like those for most other infrastructure developments, are made within a complex framework of technical, environmental, ecological, social, political, financial, and economic considerations. With data and prior experience often limited, modeling to explore sensitivities to solution alternatives can help support and contribute to the decision processes, particularly when attempting to quantify technoeconomic and environmental qualifications that affect project feasibility. Biomass resources associated with California’s extreme tree mortality, not only represent major ecological concerns but also represent opportunities to increase renewable energy supplies as part of improved management approaches. Toward this end, a decision support system (DSS) model was developed for lifecycle technoeconomic and environmental assessments that quantify the potential impacts of electricity generation. This web-based Forest Resource and Renewable Energy Decision Support System (FRREDSS) provides site-specific project development guidance on potential feedstock availability, as well as estimated economic and environmental performance. The model enables users to assess short- and longer-term feedstock availability and the potential economic feasibility and environmental impacts of biopower facilities in California. The current resource database derives from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) national data collection for the Sierra Nevada region. The spatial analysis integral to the model yields proximity to feedstock, landings, and road networks, along with estimated delivered costs of feedstock at the facility, and the overall levelized cost of energy (LCOE) as electricity transmitted to the nearest substation. Included in the spatial analysis are related attributes including defined fire hazard zones where wildfire mitigation may have relevance to project siting. The model provides preliminary information to help inform more detailed engineering, environmental, and other studies critical to the final determination of overall project feasibility and decisions that must be made to proceed. The model is flexible toward future enhancements to expand the types of facilities considered, the available resource data and resource uncertainties, and many other factors influencing decision outcomes.