While a battle rages over whether the use of woody biomass such as forest residues and wood chips is ecologically sound, Portland General Electric has proposed an entirely different source of biomass - giant cane - to replace coal at its 585 megawatt Boardman power plant.
But another option could be even more beneficial - keep the facility running after 2020 by shifting its fuel supply to giant cane.
Giant cane looks like bamboo, but it is actually a fast-growing grass.
Like other grasses, giant cane can be planted once and then harvested periodically without replanting.
After harvest, the giant cane would be super-heated in a low oxygen environment - a process called torrefication - resulting in charred material that has an energy content of 10,000 British thermal units per pound.
Company staff said the use of giant cane as a fuel would be carbon-neutral, because PGE will grow as much as it burns in a very short cycle.
PGE projects that by using giant cane the facility will generate 585 megawatts of electricity for half of the year.
Blue Reef Aquarium Grand Parade, Tynemouth, Fascinating Frogs exhibition featuring many of the world's weirdest amphibians including
giant cane toads, deadly poison dart frogs and the frog believed to be the inspiration for The Muppet Show's Kermit.
