Section Puc 2505.04 - Certification of Biomass Facilities Producing Electricity or Useful Thermal Energy(a) Eligibility determinations of facilities that use biomass fuels shall be conditional as required by RSA 362-F:11, III.(b) Each thermal biomass renewable energy source shall file with the department a statement that the source was operated in compliance with all the eligibility criteria to produce RECs for the applicable period, including the following information for the source: (1) Within 45 days of the end of each calendar quarter, for a thermal biomass unit rated greater than 100 MMBtu/hr, quarterly average NOx emission rate;(2) Within 45 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which the testing occurred, for a thermal biomass unit rated greater than 30 MMBtu/hr, particulate matter emission rate from the most recent stack test report; and(3) Within 45 days of the end of the calendar quarter in which the testing occurred, for a thermal biomass unit rated less than 100 MMBtu/hr, the most recent test report demonstrating compliance with best management practices.(c) Each eligible electric biomass source shall file with the department within 45 days of the end of each calendar quarter the following: (1) Documentation showing the source's average NOx emission rate for such quarter as required by RSA 362-F:12, III;(2) Documentation showing the source's particulate matter emission rates for the most recent particulate matter stack test results as required by RSA 362-F:12, III;(3) If a co-fired electric generating facility, documentation of compliance with the emission reduction plan for other NOx emission sources, as applicable; and(4) If a co-fired electric generating facility or eligible electric biomass technology, documentation of compliance with the emission reduction plan for other PM emission sources, as applicable.(d) Documentation for purposes of (c) above shall include copies of the applicable pages from the excess emission report from the subject quarter and the most recent particulate matter stack test report.(e) Within 10 days of receiving notice from the department that a facility conditionally certified pursuant to paragraph (a) has met the department's emissions standards pursuant to RSA 362-F:12, III, the commission shall certify the facility as eligible to be issued certificates.(f) An eligible electric biomass facility that otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of Class III but which, as of January 1, 2012, was not eligible due to inability to achieve the particulate matter emissions rate specified in RSA 362-F:2, VIII(a), and which obtains department approval of an alternative plan under RSA 362-F:2, VIII(a), shall inform the commission of the approved plan and the commission shall determine the eligibility of the source in accordance with the department-approved plan pursuant to RSA 362-F:11, IV.(g) A biomass facility generating electricity shall verify compliance with the emission standard for particulate matter by conducting a stack test in accordance with Env-A 800 and as follows: (1) For purposes of initial certification the testing shall occur prior to the first quarter for which the facility wishes to produce RECs;(2) Except as provided for in RSA 362-F:12, II, the results of the most recent stack test shall be valid for use in verifying the particulate emission rate beginning with the calendar quarter following the stack test and for 3 subsequent calendar quarters;(3) If a facility conducts a stack test that fails to demonstrate compliance with the particulate emission standard, the facility shall be deemed to have not met the particulate emission standard for the quarter in which the unsuccessful test was performed; and(4) Notwithstanding (3) above, the unit may demonstrate that it meets the particular emission standard for a quarter in which it fails a test if it subsequently passes a test and the operating hours between the failed and passing tests represent less than 10 percent of the unit's total operating time for that quarter.(h) All eligible electric biomass technologies and any thermal biomass renewable energy technology rated equal to or greater than 100 MMBtu/hour gross heat input shall verify compliance with the emission standards for NOx through continuous emission monitors in compliance with Env-A 808, including but not limited to the following: (1) A biomass facility shall conduct a relative accuracy test audit of the continuous emission monitor to certify the accuracy of the NOx emissions data at least once every 4 calendar quarters, and prior to the quarter for which the facility first wishes to produce RECs; and(2) The continuous emission monitor for measurement of NOx emission data shall have data availability equal to or greater than 90 percent per calendar quarter as specified in Env-A 808 for the verification of NOx emissions.(i) A thermal biomass unit rated greater than 3 MMBtu/hour and less than 30 MMBtu/hour gross heat input shall verify compliance with the emission standard for particulate matter by conducting a one-time stack test prior to the first quarter in which the unit intends to produce RECs. The stack test shall be conducted in accordance with Env-A 800.(j) A thermal biomass unit rated equal to or greater than 30 MMBtu/hour shall verify compliance with the emission standard for particulate matter by conducting a stack test in accordance with Env-A 800 and as follows:(1) For purposes of initial certification, the testing shall occur prior to the first quarter for which the facility wishes to generate credits;(2) Except as provided for in RSA 362-F:12, II, the results of the most recent stack test may be used to verify the particulate emission rate for the period beginning with the calendar quarter following the stack test and for 3 subsequent calendar quarters;(3) If a facility conducts a stack test that fails to demonstrate compliance with the particulate emission standard, the facility shall be deemed to not have met the particulate standard for the quarter in which the unsuccessful test was performed; and(4) Notwithstanding (3) above, the unit may demonstrate that it met the particulate emission standard for a quarter in which it failed a test if it subsequently passes a test and the operating hours between the failed and passing tests represent less than 10 percent of the unit's total operating hours for that quarter.(k) A thermal biomass unit rated less than 100 MMBtu/hour gross heat input shall verify compliance with best management practices as determined and approved by the department in accordance with the report entitled "Emission Controls for Small Wood-Fired Boilers," prepared for the United States Forest Service, Western Forestry Leadership Coalition by RSG Inc., May 6, 2010, available at http://www.biomasscenter.org/images/stories/FSE_PM_Emissions.pdf, as specified in Appendix B.(l) The provisions of Puc 2505.11 shall apply to biomass facilities.(m) A thermal biomass boiler shall only be eligible to be issued RECs when burning eligible biomass fuels. The source shall keep records to verify the thermal output resulting from combustion of eligible biomass fuels.N.H. Admin. Code § Puc 2505.04
#9037, INTERIM, eff 11-27-07, EXPIRED: 5-25-08
New. #9169, eff 6-3-08
Amended byVolume XXXV Number 01, Filed January 8, 2015, Proposed by #10741, Effective 12/5/2014.Amended by Volume XXXVIII Number 06, Filed February 8, 2018, Proposed by #12473, Effective 2/1/2018, Expires 2/1/2028.