Wood burning

There is a 60 year old coal fired power plant in Marquette, MI that supplies the Upper Peninsula with most of its electricity. The plant lost its biggest customer and the owners want to close. The other alternative is to raise the electric rates to the people in the area and they cannot afford the increase it would take to make the plant profitable. It is suggested by a group of environmentalist that the area use wind and solar but there is a problem when the wind stops and sun goes down. Since electricity cannot be stored these energy sources need a back-up. Normally they use the grid and put excess power back and then withdraw when needed. The group, suggest that since there is ample wood in the area that a wood burning plant be built to augment the solar and wind. Wood, of course produces pollution but overall it would be an improvement over the coal plant. Checking with experts in wood burning it appears it takes more than most realize. How about in the UP, where we surely have lots of wood? The Presque Isle coal plant in Marquette needs replacement. It generates 450 megawatts annually. Replacing that coal with standing timber would require the annual growth of 4.5 million acres of forest land, or clear-cutting 112,500 acres (180 square miles) a year. There has to be some more planning before the use of wood to back up wind and solar proves feasible. This concept of moving ahead with wind and solar without adequate forethought seems to be prevalent as plan after plan has fallen apart.