About
The Nebraska Wood Energy Team is a partnership between local, state and federal organizations in Nebraska to promote woody biomass energy opportunities and advance the installation of systems to increase the use of Nebraska’s trees and forests.
What is Wood Energy?
Wood energy is the process of burning, combusting or gasifying wood fuel, capturing that heat and using it for a beneficial purpose. Traditionally, the term “wood energy” is used describe using wood fuel to heat a facility. However, the term has grown to include heating multiple buildings from one system (district heating), producing electricity using wood fuel and even cooling a facility using wood fuel and specialized equipment.
Wood energy development serves as a tool for managing Nebraska’s trees and forests. Traditionally left in piles and burned or landfilled, wood waste from communities and forest management can serve as a fuel for wood energy providing a useful outlet for waste wood.
Wood Energy Hotspot Assessment
In 2017, the Nebraska Forest Service contracted with the Biomass Energy Resource Center to conduct an assessment of Nebraska communities to identify those with greatest wood energy potential.
Highlights
- Identified 9 facilities with wood energy potential across Nebraska
- Identified several additional facilities which could have wood energy potential
- Transportation of wood chip fuel should be reviewed due to Nebraska’s low vehicle weight limits
Services Offered
- Provide hands-on technical assistance to interested facilities
- Complete wood energy pre-feasibility and engineering studies
- Coordinate wood energy outreach workshops and training
- Offer financial assistance for the installation of wood energy systems at proven facilities
Contact Us
For questions regarding the Nebraska Wood Energy team or wood energy in general, please contact Nebraska Forest Service, Forest Products Utilization staff.
Adam Smith, asmith11@unl.edu, 402-472-1276
Heather Nobert, hnobert2@unl.edu, 402-782-1453