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Walker halts Wisconsin biomass project

Wisconsin Governor-elect Scott Walker has put a halt on plans to convert a University of Wisconsin heating plant to biofuels. Governor Jim Doyle announced a year ago plans to convert the Charter Street Heating Plant in Madison from coal-burning to natural gas and biomass. Upon completion in 2013, it was estimated the plant would burn about 250,000 tons of wood chips, corn stalks and switchgrass pellets annually. Doyle stated that with the project, “Wisconsin is going to demonstrate to the country and the world our commitment to a new energy future.”

Walker wants to convert the plant to strictly natural gas saying it would save the state $100 million. University officials had previously stated that building a biofuels boiler would cost about $125 million while a natural gas-fired boiler would cost $25 million.