At the October meeting Steve Frisch, President of the Sierra Business Council, will be making a presentation on the 20 MW Loyalton Biomass Cogen Facility in Sierra County. This is a far larger facility than would ever be viable here, but illustrates how excess biomass from the forest can be put to productive use.
The Loyalton Biomass Cogen Facility officially flipped the switch to start generating power in April, 2018. It can generate up to 20 megawatts of power and includes a 13 acre business park and over 100 acres of additional land zoned for industrial development. The vision for the facility, newly named “Resource :: Regen”, is to build a hub for world-class innovation, research, and product development in energy-intensive industries and manufacturing. The Sierra Business Council is working with Resource :: Regen to create a master plan for an innovative business model committed to efficient resource utilization of woody biomass for systemic regeneration of forests, communities and the economy. They are committed to building a circular economic model and hub for world-class innovation that simultaneously enhances forest and community health by transforming wood waste and overgrowth into innovative wood-based products and opportunities
Steve Frisch is President of the Sierra Business Council and was one of its founding members in 1994. He has been on staff since 2000, President since 2008, and has lived and worked in Truckee for 30 years. For the last 18 years his work has focused on community planning and development policy including supporting roles in developing Sierra Business Council publications defining rural planning and economic development. He has worked on open space and conservation including overseeing project management and community engagement for the Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Plan, the Placer County Conservation Plan, and a combined Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Communities Conservation Plan. He has also worked on climate policy and planning including very active involvement in development of legislative and agency policy addressing climate change impacts, and advancing economic development policy including the creation of the Sierra Small Business Development Center and developing community capital funds for local investment. Mr. Frisch has been involved in preparing more than ten General Plans, community plans, specific plans, and climate plans.
There will also be a short presentation by Dr. Patrick Traynor, Alpine County Superintendent of Schools, on Measure B, which is on the November ballot.
The October meeting is scheduled for Tuesday October 2nd at 6:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park.
Alpine Biomass Collaborative 