Novo BioPower CEO Brad Worsley told the assembled Forest Service managers, elected officials and industry representatives that Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service have now signed 10-year contracts to buy electricity generated by burning biomass. The Snowflake biomass burning plant is the only one in the state, and one of the few markets for the biomass wood scraps generated by forest restoration projects. Just a few months ago, Novo BioPower was running out of both wood and cash. Moreover, the critical biomass burning plant also received a million-dollar infrastructure grant from the federal government for a $2.5-million dollar overhaul of key equipment. In addition, the U.S. Forest Service is boosting the budget for forest thinning and restoration projects, which includes a partial subsidy for loggers who have been stymied by the extra cost of getting rid of about 50 tons of low-value biomass on each acre they thin.