Georgia Magazine - July 2010 - (Page 15)

Georgia’s energy outlook From mill to biomass, everybody wins Clayton native Bill Gravley’s relationship with the Rabun Gap Plant, a new biomass energy facility in North Georgia, dates to the mid-1970s, when it was the boiler room for a Burlington Industries manufacturing plant. Gravley started in the maintenance department in 1974 and had worked his way up to maintenance manager when then-owner Fruit of the Loom closed the cotton facility in 2006. “I was the only person here for several months,” says Gravley, who’s now plant manager of Multitrade Rabun Gap LLC, which bought the boiler house, wood yard and shop facility at the sprawling 1 millionsquare-foot plant to produce electricity from biomass. Green Power EMC has contracted with Multitrade for 17 megawatts of green power. Power production began in January, followed by a dedication at the plant on Earth Day, April 22. Green Power EMC is Georgia’s first and largest green power program. Participating EMCs across the state— Carroll, Cobb, Coweta-Fayette, Irwin, Jackson, Middle Georgia, Oconee, Okefenoke, Sawnee, Tri-County and Walton; as well as Diverse Power, Flint Energies, GreyStone Power and Southern Rivers Energy—will purchase the power generated at Rabun Gap. Gravley now has a staff of nearly two dozen, with an additional 75 jobs for those who gather and transport biomass to the facility. The Multitrade facility represents a $21.5 million investment in Rabun Gap. Power is produced by burning biomass to turn a steam turbine. An electrostatic precipitator removes particulates from the boiler exhaust, so minimal pollutants leave the facility. Forestry byproducts, which include limbs, tops, bark and other unmarketable portions of trees, are bought by the ton and taken to the facility. Gravley says that biomass is sourced as close as possible to the plant, but can come from as far as 120 miles away. The plant keeps a 30-day supply of wood on hand to deal with inclement weather or times when forestry byproducts are not for sale. According to Michael Whiteside, president/CEO of Green Power EMC, Rabun Gap is part of Green Power EMC’s mission to research and deliver renewable energy options from Georgia resources such as biomass, solar, wind and low-impact hydro. Green Power EMC, founded in 2001, has an extensive renewable energy education effort through its Sun Power for Schools program at high schools statewide and its Go Green presentations for elementary schools. Find out more at www.green poweremc.com. COURTESY JACKSON EMC Steven Cooper, right, pictured with Judge Mick McGuire, won the grand prize for Grand Champion Steer. Beefing up the competition More than 70 FFA and 4-H club members from six counties converged in Jefferson late last year to compete for awards, ribbons and cash prizes at Jackson Electric Membership Corp.’s 41st Annual Quality Beef Show. The experience of competing helps the young contestants prepare for the statewide competition in Perry, which takes place in February. KELLY HESTER / CARROLL EMC Carroll EMC employee Joe Brown loads a printer onto a truck full of electronics to donate to a local electronics recycling event. Carroll EMC employees wore blue or green shirts to commemorate Earth Day, April 22, as they planted a river birch tree near their headquarters in Carrollton. The electric cooperative also donated items to a local electronics recycling event recently. The co-op has participated in the event for several years, donating items each time the recycling drives are held, usually twice a year. July 2010 Rep. Don Parsons, chairman of the Georgia House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee, center, is joined by officials from Multitrade/Rabun Gap and Green Power EMC for the facility’s April 22, 2010, ribbon-cutting. www.georgiamagazine.org 15 PATRICK MCCOMAS / GEORGIA EMC Carroll EMC celebrates Earth Day http://www.greenpoweremc.com http://www.greenpoweremc.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2010

Georgia Magazine - July 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
Where the Wild Things Are
Still Going Strong
Reliving History and Exploring Nature
Around Georgia
Georgia@Home
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - July 2010