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NC Woody Biomass "Nature's renewable energy!" http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fore stry /biomass.html Extension Forestry Campus Box 8008 NC State University Raleigh, NC 27695 -8008 State University N A &t State University COOPERATIVE VI EXTENSION AIIIJIM Empowering People - Providing Solution, Community Economic Profile: Buncombe and Orange County Examples In the southern United States, communities with increasing populations and nearby forests may be able to consider using woody biomass to generate energy. A variety of other factors must also be considered, such as the price of existing energy sources, competing markets for wood, community acceptance, and the economic availability of wood resources. Many counties in North Carolina have forests in close proximity to growing populations. To gain a better understanding of the range of possibilities for economic availability and the local economic impacts of using wood for energy, Buncombe and Orange counties were selected for analysis in this community economic profile. This document is for forestry professionals and county planners to understand the Community Economic Profile and Analysis Process. Buncombe County is in the western region of North Carolina in the French Broad River valley, nestled between the Blue Ridge and the Smoky Mountains. Buncombe County prides itself on living in harmony with nature and acting locally to positively impact the global environment. Asheville, the county seat, is a growing city with large arts and retirement communities and several colleges and universities. Another heavily forested region, Orange County, is located in the rolling hills of the Piedmont region in the north central part of the state. Although the county is located in the Raleigh- Durham metropolitan area, only 10 percent of the land base has been developed. Hillsborough, the county seat, is a small town located on the Eno River, and the city of Chapel Hill is home to the University of North Carolina. Buncombe and Orange Counties are 62% and 59% forested, respectively, and the larger communities, such as Asheville, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Weaverville are nationally recognized as Tree City USA communities. According to the U. S. Census Bureau (2007), both Buncombe and Orange counties have grown in population over the past six years. Buncombe County's population has grown by 7.7 %, while Orange County has grown by 1.6 % (Table 1). Coal, natural gas, and fuel oil are currently the major sources of energy in both counties. In fact, Progress Energy is constructing a new facility in Buncombe County that will supply 130 megawatts (MW) of energy using an ultra low - sulfur fuel oil. Table 1. Population Data for Selected NC Counties 2000 2006 Population County Pop. Pop. Growth (2000 —2006) Buncombe 206,330 222,174 7.7% Orange 1 118,227 1 120,100 1 1.6%