On-Site Energy Consumption and Selected Emissions at Softwood Sawmills in the Southwestern United States

Presently there is a lack of information describing US southwestern energy consumption and emissions generated from the sawmilling industry. This article uses a mail survey of softwood sawmills in the states of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico to develop a profile of on-site energy consumption and selected emissions for the industry. Energy consumption is categorized by fuel type on a production basis for both renewable and nonrenewable sources for production year 2012. Selected emissions from on-site energy consumption were also estimated for respondent sawmills. Survey respondents represented 35 percent of total softwood lumber production of 169.2 million board feet. Total annual on-site sawmill energy required was 64.8 billion British thermal units. Sixty-one percent was derived from diesel fuel, primarily for on-site rolling stock; 35 percent was from electricity; 3 percent was from gasoline used for on-site rolling stock; and the remainder was from propane and wood. Energy produced from nonrenewable sources accounted for 94 percent of total on-site energy consumption. Off-site electricity generation for consumption at sawmills comprise the majority of all emissions in this analysis: 62 percent of CO 2 , 99 percent of CH 4 , 94 percent of NO X , 99 percent of SO X , and 99 percent of particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM 10 ). Diesel fuel, which supplies the majority of on-site energy, comprises 36 percent CO 2 , 0 percent CH 4 , 5 percent NO X , 0.4 percent SO X , and 1.1 percent of PM 10 .