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El Dorado County earns 'A' bioeconomy rating; officials aim to recruit wood‑based projects
Summary
A consultant team certified an El Dorado County Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) zone with an “A” (low‑risk) score and outlined available wildfire fuel feedstock, possible sites and promotion steps; county supervisors and staff said they will pursue investor outreach and regional coordination with Placer and Nevada counties.
A consultant team told the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26 that the county’s Camino area earned an “A” BDO zone rating — a low‑risk, investment‑grade score intended to attract project developers for wood‑based bioenergy and bioproduct facilities.
The report, produced by EcoStrat and shared at the board meeting, said the assessment focused on biomass feedstocks within a 75‑mile supply radius, logistics, competition for material and infrastructure at a candidate industrial site (the former Camino mill). EcoStrat senior director Marcin Lewandowski said the team rated roughly 100,000 bone‑dry tons of low‑risk material — a volume suitable for a community‑scale power plant, pellet mill or similar facility — and estimated substantially more material could be available at higher risk levels.
The rating is intended to be an industry‑facing signal: EcoStrat will promote the El Dorado BDO zone through a press release, webinars and a distribution network of developers, investors and technology companies. Erin Garzwood of EcoStrat said the initiative also maintains an online rating library developers use to pre‑screen siting opportunities.
Why it matters: The county and several supervisors framed the rating as a tool to help restore local wood processing capacity and to create a market for material produced by wildfire fuel‑reduction and forest‑restoration projects. Supervisor comments tied the rating to long‑standing county priorities — restoring a Camino mill, processing salvage and providing markets to support forest management — and stressed the rating could help attract private capital.
Key findings and limits
EcoStrat said its supply inventory included approximately 64,000 bone‑dry tons per year of pulpwood (including fuel‑treatment material) and roughly 41,000 bone‑dry tons per year of forest residue. The rating excluded existing public subsidies for collecting fuel‑treatment material, so published price estimates reflect unsubsidized market conditions; EcoStrat noted existing subsidies currently lower delivered costs in some cases and that subsidized material raises supply‑risk if subsidies stop.
Lewandowski characterized the 16.7 score (on the firm’s 15–20 band for an “A” rating) as a credible, low‑risk evaluation for community‑scale projects; he cautioned larger projects would face higher supply risk and different siting needs. EcoStrat emphasized the rating is a due‑diligence product aimed at lowering perceived supply‑chain risk for prospective investors, not a project approval or a public subsidy package.
What comes next
EcoStrat will move the initiative into a promotional phase that includes a webinar series, press outreach and targeted distribution to its investor and developer networks. The consultant showed example materials and said past BDO zone promotions produced inbound project inquiries and report downloads for other rated communities.
County officials said staff will continue conversations with Sierra Pacific Industries and other private landowners about potential site availability, coordinate regionally with Placer and Nevada counties (both pursuing similar ratings) and engage the county’s biomass ad‑hoc working group. The board asked staff to continue work to attract developers and to report back as investor interest emerges.
Concerns raised
EcoStrat identified several risks developers will weigh: year‑to‑year feedstock volume volatility tied to wildfire, salvage and restoration activities; road access and terrain constraints on collection and transport; and dependence on public programs supporting fuel‑treatment work. Several supervisors emphasized those risks and noted the need for private‑sector partners and long‑term commitments from landowners and agencies.
Outlook
County staff and the board described the rating as a practical, market‑facing step to make the Camino supply chain visible to project developers, and to catalyze investor outreach. EcoStrat and the county expect promotional activities over the coming months; any actual project proposals will require separate permitting, feasibility and environmental review processes.
