A recent meeting was held in Georgetown to discuss a proposed biomass energy plant, which would be built on the site of the former International Paper Co. mill. Despite the importance of the issue, attendance was lower than expected, with only about two dozen people showing up. The meeting was organized by Everett Carolina, a former County Council member, who attributed the low attendance to the Memorial Day weekend. Carolina plans to make an effort to mobilize the community and spread the word about the proposed plant.
Conservation groups, including the Sierra Club and the Coastal Conservation League, were strongly represented at the meeting and expressed their opposition to the biomass plant. They argue that biomass is not a clean source of energy, citing a study by the state of North Carolina that found it emits four times the amount of carbon dioxide as coal. The groups plan to join forces to fight the proposal, which they believe would have negative impacts on the environment and the community.
The proposed biomass plant would add another boiler to the three already on site, providing power for a data center, a sawmill, and other wood product operations. It would also sell power to Santee Cooper. However, critics argue that this would come at a cost to the environment and the community. State Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, who represents the partners proposing the plant, has said that the facility would provide economic benefits to the area. However, opponents argue that these benefits would be outweighed by the negative impacts of the plant.
The state House has already approved a bill that defines biomass as “renewable and carbon neutral,” but the Senate will not take it up until next year. Conservation groups are vowing to fight the proposal, with the Sierra Club’s Paul Black saying that biomass is “worse than coal.” The Coastal Conservation League’s Becky Ryon added that biomass is “not a clean form of energy.” The Dogwood Alliance and the S.C. Environmental Law Project are also joining the fight against the biomass plant. Another meeting will be scheduled to discuss the proposal and mobilize the community against it.