In California, West Biofuels, LLC announced $4 million from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Business and Workforce Development Grant Award to support the development of clean, renewable energy.

West Biofuels was awarded $2 million for their latest project, the Hat Creek Bioenergy Facility (Burney, Calif.), which is expected to be operational in the spring of 2024. The funds will help transport woody biomass from forest restoration operations and demonstrate how subsidies can support restoration efforts and incentivize the creation of new bioenergy facilities in areas where feedstock supply exceeds demand.

They also received $2 million for a planned bioenergy facility in Mariposa, Calif. The grant funding will help complete site grading, preparation of a feedstock area, installation of a fire prevention system, and the fabrication of bioenergy equipment. The project will kickstart local and regional forest management practices and jobs markets, and help the region develop a thriving and sustainable forest management industry that minimizes future catastrophic wildfire hazards, provides local jobs, and benefits underserved
communities.

The bioenergy facilities in Burney and Mariposa are each expected to produce three megawatts of clean power per year by converting forest organic byproducts – once considered waste – into renewable electricity, heat, and biochar. Specifically, the Hat Creek Bioenergy Facility is estimated to source approximately 30,000 bone dry tons of forest waste per year, which would fill approximately 171 Olympic-sized swimming pools.