A U.K. based renewable energy company is scouting locations in the U.S. to power artificial intelligence through a controversial method. The plan from Drax involves building plants that house wood-fired electricity generators in the Southeastern American Pine Belt.
Over the years, the region has seen a number of pulp and paper mills close, leaving timber growers without buyers for trees that can’t be used for making lumber or poles.
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Wood burning power has been a contentious issue. While it’s considered a renewable energy source, environmental experts argue that it can significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
There are also concerns about potential deforestation and air pollution from wood burning plants in areas where wood biomass is harvested.
To bypass those pollution concerns, Drax said it plans to buy wood only from properties managed for timber production, not old-growth stands. And the plants’ exhaust will be piped underground instead of out of smokestacks, which generates profitable carbon credits.
As more data centers go up, technology companies are looking for ways to power them without fossil fuels.
“The whole idea is that 24/7 renewable power is going to become increasingly in demand as data centers grow, as AI grows. There’s a huge need for that commodity,” Drax Chief Executive Will Gardiner told The Wall Street Journal.
Officials expect the wood-burning power plant to be up and running in the U.S. by 2030.
[Jack Aylmer]
A U-K BASED RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY IS SCOUTING LOCATIONS IN THE U-S TO POWER A-I THROUGH A CONTROVERSIAL METHOD.
THE PLAN FROM “DRAX” INVOLVES BUILDING PLANTS THAT HOUSE WOOD-FIRED ELECTRICITY GENERATORS … IN THE SOUTHEASTERN “AMERICAN PINE BELT” – KNOWN FOR ITS LONGLEAF PINE TREES.
PULP AND PAPER MILLS HAVE CLOSED THERE … LEAVING TIMBER GROWERS WITHOUT BUYERS FOR THOSE TREES THAT ARE NO LONGER GOOD FOR MAKING LUMBER OR POLES.
WOOD BURNING POWER IS A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE BECAUSE WHILE IT’S CONSIDERED A RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCE, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS ARGUE THAT IT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL DEFORESTATION AND AIR POLLUTION FROM WOOD BURNING PLANTS IN AREAS WHERE WOOD BIOMASS IS HARVESTED.
TO BYPASS THOSE POLLUTION CONCERNS, DRAX SAYS IT PLANS TO BUY WOOD ONLY FROM PROPERTIES MANAGED FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION, NOT OLD-GROWTH STANDS.
AND THE PLANTS’ EXHAUST WILL BE PIPED UNDERGROUND INSTEAD OF OUT OF SMOKESTACKS, WHICH GENERATES PROFITABLE CARBON CREDITS.
AS MORE DATA CENTERS GO UP … TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO POWER THEM WITHOUT FOSSIL FUELS … AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR DRAX WILL GARDINER TELLS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL …
“THE WHOLE IDEA IS THAT 24/7 RENEWABLE POWER IS GOING TO BECOME INCREASINGLY IN DEMAND AS DATA CENTERS GROW … AS A-I GROWS. THERE’S A HUGE NEED FOR THAT COMMODITY.”
ACCORDING TO THE POLICY FOR PARTNERSHIP INTEGRITY … WOOD EMITS MORE CARBON PER B-T-U THAN OTHER FUELS … WITH 213 POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS PRODUCED PER UNIT OF ENERGY.
FOLLOWED BY COAL AT AROUND 205 POUNDS AND NATURAL GAS AT 117 POUNDS.
OFFICIALS EXPECT THIS WOOD-BURNING POWER PLANT WILL BE UP AND RUNNING IN THE U.S. BY 20-30.
FOR SAN – I’M JACK AYLMER.
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