GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A clean energy breakthrough could be coming to Grand Rapids, where a $2 million facility is transforming how Michigan handles wood waste.

Woodchuck, a climate-focused start-up, has launched the state’s first biomass processing center to combine all-electric wood processing with artificial intelligence — turning discarded wood into a clean source of power.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who attended the grand opening, said the project represents a new way of thinking about sustainability.

“Woodchuck is going to take something that we used to treat as trash and put in landfills — wood waste from construction, demolition or storm cleanup — and be turning it into a clean source of renewable energy,” she said.

The facility uses AI at every stage of the process. It begins by helping identify and separate clean wood from mixed waste streams. From there, the technology continues to monitor and refine the processing of biomass fuel to ensure maximum energy quality and minimal environmental impact.

“We’re using AI to help us make sure that we are accurately segregating wood out of waste streams so we’re getting clean waste. We continue to use the AI during the processing so that we maximize the quality of the biomass, which allows us to produce energy more cleanly and maximizes sustainability,” Founder and CEO of Woodchuck, Todd Thomas explained.

In addition to producing renewable energy, the facility is making a local economic impact. Fourteen new jobs have been created, and Woodchuck has established a unique partnership with the City of Grand Rapids.

“We have a great partnership with the city,” Thomas said. “We get to operate here for free, and in exchange, any downed trees that the city has, they bring us those trees and we process them for free.”

By diverting wood from landfills and turning it into a power source, the biomass facility helps power homes and businesses while supporting a circular economy model.

“It’s really exciting,” Whitmer said. “This is one of the many things that comes from prioritizing our climate work.”

Though Woodchuck is still a start-up, it’s already playing a key role in Michigan’s broader clean energy push.

Under the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration, the state has secured many clean energy investments and continues to announce new energy-related jobs.