Bio-fuel crops must only be grown on land that was formerly agriculture land. There must also be stipulations that prevent these crops for food production with respect to land use. In other words, bio-crops should not compete with food resources not cause any direct or indirect deforestation.

The bio-energy complex must include an educational center that offers guided tours to public schools and institutions throughout the state. It is necessary to invest in the minds of our youth and integrate sustainable ways of thinking into their studies. A facility of this nature teaches everyone about the life cycle of their waste and can complement public campaigns to separate bio-waste from general refuse. These efforts will also help to build and maintain an excellent rapport between the energy production company and the taxpayers. Partnerships will be formed with local universities and technical schools creating internships and job opportunities upon graduation.

Since 2012, Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) has offered commercial composting at its Kingston facility, partnering with local haulers and food-waste generators to reduce food waste going to landfills. As of December 2017, UCRRA’s composting program is now a permitted facility that processes 2,500 tons of commercial food waste each year, turning it into finished compost for gardening and landscaping. To date, the composting facility has diverted roughly 4,000 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of not burning 4,301,969 pounds of coal, or of planting 101,902 tree seedlings and letting them grow and sequester carbon for 10 years.

Bio-waste input supply should not disrupt UCRRA operations or other composting programs of this nature. These are established systems which should continue to grow and scale with their own sustainability initiatives. However, there may be value in finding ways to complement this program with the bio-gas production facility. For example, the compositing centers could serve as distribution outlets for the eco-friendly fertilizer that is produced from the production process. The plant will also generate waste byproduct that could be contributed to the compost centers.

In 2012, the Danskammer plant incurred extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy when Hudson River tides well-exceeded historical heights. As a result, the plant was shut down. This was pursuant to a 2011 bankruptcy declaration. The Hudson Valley requires a new power generation facility that will be built to withstand the effects of rising sea levels and increased storm surge. It is very important to take careful consideration with respect to this matter, especially if a new facility is carefully integrated into the economic support and energy supply of the community.

Danskammer has planned for the facility to be built farther back from the river and at higher elevations than the existing power plant. This location is outside of the projected 500-year flood zone, several feet above where the plant currently sits. Every precaution will be taken to protect the facility from flooding and mitigate the impact of any extreme weather events.

One distinctive promise of biofuels is that, in combination with an emerging technology called carbon capture and storage, the process of producing and using biofuels may be capable of perpetually removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Under this vision, biofuel crops would remove carbon dioxide from the air as they grow, and energy facilities would capture the carbon dioxide given off as biofuels are burned to generate power.

At this time, carbon capture storage (CCS) technology is not required with energy production facilities. However, there is a possibility that a technology of this nature will become mainstream and dictated by policy in the near future. As efforts to mitigate climate change become more prevalent throughout the country, there may be a time when this technology is mandated for operations. With current systems, there would be a net negative financial impact to incorporating CCS into the production process. In the case of a policy change that employs a carbon emission tax or financial assistance to these types of technologies, the Hudson Valley needs to be braced to accommodate to take advantage of new regulations. Not planning for this type of change permits the risk of the plant becoming obsolete. In an effort to be prepared for a scenario in which emission capture and storage becomes required, the energy facility should have an outlook plan which would permit this technology to be implemented.