Construction of biomass plant to reduce wildfire risk in Northern California foothills gets green light
YUBA COUNTY – The Yuba River Watershed is one of the only watersheds in California to be untouched by wildfires and they want to keep it that way.
Construction can now move forward for a biomass plant that will help reduce the risk of wildfires after a funding vote was approved Tuesday by the Yuba Water Agency.
A project that has been trying to get going for a decade now has the green light. Its main purpose is to clean up the forest by taking woody debris and other fire fuel material and converting it into electrical energy for the grid.
"We are behind by decades in investing in projects like this," said Yuba Water Agency Watershed Manager Joanna Lessard.
As California's wildfires continue to burn hotter and more frequently, environmental leaders are scrambling to get ahead of them, including the nonprofit Camptonville Community Partnership.
They've been spearheading an effort for years to build a biomass plant in the foothills of Yuba County and with funding help from the Yuba Water Agency, the project is expected to break ground this year.
"Bioenergy plants basically use biomass organic biomass in this case wood to create energy, taking woody waste products out of the forest and making energy with it," said Lessard.
Electrical energy to be more specific. The biomass plant will be connected to the grid and sell three megawatts to PG&E. It's capable of producing up to five megawatts, any remaining energy will be used to power the plant itself. The project will also create jobs.
"We will definitely be hiring locally. So this is jobs you from an economically depressed place, definitely a huge generator and a jumpstart of the economy that has really taken a hit in recent years," said Camptonville Community Partnership Project Manager Lindsey Nitta.
There are very few biomass plants like these throughout California. Having one nestled between the Tahoe and Plumas national forests is essential to mitigating wildfire risks.
"You're trucking that material, which is very low value, hours and hours away. For just a single project it could cost you millions of dollars to truck that material, that basically almost has no value. So having this project in-region really goes hand-in-hand with fire risk reduction," said Lessard.
Having the plant in Yuba County will cut the cost of trucking materials in half or more. The plant can process 2,000 truckloads per year. Since the site has already been approved, forest debris can start being stored there while the plant is under construction.
"This area is a top priority landscape at the national level as well so we are getting support and direction from the federal government, and the state with grants, with keeping the watershed green. As well as the local community," said Nitta.
Camptonville Community Partnership says the total price tag for this project is $30 million. Yuba Water Agency has given $7 million for this project and provided an $8.3 million loan with low interest.
Yuba Water says long-term recovery efforts for water quality after a wildfire can be devastating, so they are investing on this level to reduce that risk.
The plant is expected to be up and running in March of 2026 and will operate for at least the next 20 years.
