Traverse City Light & Power is releasing its recent survey results regarding the building of a biomass plant.
TCLP reports: by over a two to 1 margin, its energy customers show they are “very supportive” or “somewhat supportive” of L&P’s initiative to build a local biomass plant, compared to those saying they are “somewhat unsupportive” or “very unsupportive.”
The random telephone survey, which used a statistically significant sample size of 755 L&P customers, was conducted between March 23 and April 8 by the Research Services of Northwestern Michigan College. Overall margin of error for residential as well as commercial customers was less than ± 5%.
Customers surveyed also indicated that low electric rates, reliability, support of local jobs and local purchasing were important characteristics to them.
“Light and Power’s renewable energy initiative began nearly five years ago when we began investigating alternative energy, including biomass, in the U.S. and Europe,” said Linda Johnson, chairperson of the L&P board. “While biomass is not the only method Light and Power would use in order to reach our strategic goal of acquiring 30 percent of electric power generation with renewable resources by 2020, we’re pleased this customer survey endorses the possible local construction of a biomass plant.”
According to Johnson, a proposed wood biomass plant, which would generate electricity and could heat nearby buildings, would also produce the lowest electric rates for the utility’s customers among all of the generating sources – renewable and non-renewable – that the utility has studied.
To view the complete survey and more information abou the biomass plans click on THIS LINK.
