A board based in Traverse City, Light Power, is a public utility service. They study for the latest breakthroughs in energy producing. Discussions during the meeting held on Monday afternoon suggested new methods of wood-fueled biomass energy generation and production of natural gas electric generation. The officials have a task of discovering latest base load power methods — therefore the advantages and the drawbacks were talked over during the meeting.

Jim Carruthers, a Traverse City commissioner board member spoke about their interest in production of their own source of energy as buying it off the market would make them susceptible towards price changes. They were yet to decide as to which source they would be planning to use to generate energy.
Light Power are currently under a contractual agreement with a coal- based energy company downstate. This contract provided fifty percent of the utility’s demand which went on for more than 25 years which is supposedly coming to an end in a years time. Apart from this, they are also planning to exceed in terms of the states plans. This utility would like to attain a target of 30 percent renewable energy by the end of 2020, whereas the state’s range is 10 percent by the year 2015 ending.
According the Ed Rice, executive director of Light & Power talked about the similarity in pricing over biomass and natural gas and also their pros and cons. It seems the pricing for natural gas can be unpredictable as there are limits in its supply as it being a fossil fuel whereas biomass is a renewable source.

The focus of Light House was to keep the cost at the lowest possible for its dedicated customers. They have planned initiatives of organizing a public forum which would assist them in taking public opinions on their plans as to whether they should continue with small wood-fueled biomass plants or production of natural gas or stick with purchasing coal-fired power. This would be put to action through a public information plan which would focus primarily on biomass production technologies.