American Renewables To Develop Biomass Plants

When I saw the word "biomass" I thought, "oh, good, another project to create fuel and fertilizer" but in fact, the project is burning biomass entirely. I'm less than thrilled with that. We need non-hydrocarbon based fertilizers!

Burning wood? Are you kidding? Don't we pay enough for wood already?
Are we going back to the 1800's?
Cellunosic energy is the only way to go.

Good comments. However, the Nacogdoches Power plant is going to produce wood ash to be broadcast on pastureland in the area, offsetting a good deal of commercial fertilizer, as well as provide a localized and much needed source of soil 'sweetner' to offset the acidic pasture soils. Currently ag lime is trucked a long distance to these areas.
The plant is set to use existing, non- or under-utilized woody waste, a lot of which is burned up during forestry and land clearing activities - thus the controlled combustion in the power plant will reduce air pollution as compared to the open burning now taking place. Cellulosic energy, while an interesting and promising technology, is still a good ways off and has some issues of its' own - just going to show that there are no magic bullets - only good, reasonable alternatives to assist us in our energy production.