[StolarStorm]

I don’t think they are cutting down trees for fuel... that wouldn’t be cost effective anyway. They are using waste materials left over from the lumber and paper industries.

[Pecos]

And where has that "waste material" been going up until now? Paper? Particle board? Outer skins for drywall? That is, what industry just had its feedstock prices increase? We were running a stable closed system before this process came to town. I'm willing to bet that the people making money from this plant didn't bother determining who they were going to ace out.

[dangerdoc]

There are extremely fast growing varieties of trees, particularuy a couple cultivates of willow.

If there were a cost effective way to convert it to fuel, I can see entire crops of trees being planted and cut for fuel assuming there is a profit to be had.

Assuming a good conversion process, there are options other than trees. We bury hundreds of millions of tons of trash every year. The energy to dry and process it my be overwhelming though.