If you think about it, there are millions of dead trees around the world right now. What if those dead trees could be turned into renewable energy to power our homes, communities and more?

Interestingly, an energy company in California is doing this– turning dead tree debris into renewable energy. Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California has set up sorting and chipping yards in eight California counties.

As many of you know, California is known for forest fires. What happens to all that dead wood debris after a fire ravages an area? Well, it can be “repurposed” at biomass generation facilities. In other words, dead wood becomes electricity through the wonders of technology.

Last year, Pacific Gas and Electric Company removed some 236,000 dead or dying trees, delivering 56,000 tons of dead tree debris to energy-generating facilities in places like Fresno, Sonora and Lincoln.

There’s plenty of dead trees to choose from in California. The U.S. Forest Service estimated there are 102 million dead trees in the state.

Besides using dead wood on a mass scale to create energy, people have, for centuries, used dead wood to fuel their fires. Integral to cooking food, fire has played a key part in the development of society in general.

People use wood in their wood stoves to heat water and cook various foods. If all the power went out in New Jersey for an extended period of time, anyone with a wood stove would be very popular since it’s a tried-and-true way to prepare meals in order to live. Wood is also used to heat homes– very helpful during a freezing cold New Jersey winter, right?

If you have a dead or dying tree in your yard, Big Foot Tree Service could remove it. You’re also welcome to leave it standing, of course. Even if it’s “dead,” birds and bugs and small animals will make it their home.

Should you have a lot of wood at your disposal from dead trees, consider making those wood pieces into a decorative fence. You can also use the wood for garden mulch, garden stakes, or garden bed/walkway borders.

Do you have questions about what to do about dead trees on your property? Call Big Foot Tree Service today at 973-885-8000.