Michigan Company Opens AI Powered Biomass Facility In Grand Rapids

Woodchuck, an AI-powered climate tech company focused on transforming wood waste into renewable energy, officially opened its flagship biomass processing facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. in early May. Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined local and state officials, clean energy advocates, and Grand Rapids business leaders in celebrating the launch of the nation’s first AI-driven wood waste-to-energy facility of its kind. The new facility combines advanced machine learning with localized waste diversion to turn construction and demolition wood waste into high-quality biomass for energy producers. In partnership with NorthStar Clean Energy, a CMS Energy Company, Alloy Partners, Beckett Industries, and The Right Place, Woodchuck is establishing a model that bridges environmental responsibility with economic opportunity. By using AI to sort, identify, and process usable materials, Woodchuck drastically increases efficiency and transparency in a sector long plagued by fragmentation and contamination challenges.

“Construction and demolition sites produce an enormous amount of recoverable wood, yet the majority of it still ends up in landfills,” says Todd Thomas, CEO, Woodchuck. “This facility changes that. Woodchuck transforms waste into value, reducing costs, reducing landfill usage, and unleashing an abundant energy future!”

In addition to servicing the construction industry, Woodchuck’s capabilities are already proving critical in emergency response and environmental recovery. Following the devastating ice storms that swept through northern Michigan earlier this month, Woodchuck has partnered with several counties to rapidly process fallen trees and wood debris—turning what would have been landfill waste or burn piles into clean biomass energy. The effort is helping communities recover faster, while reinforcing the value of localized circular economy solutions in the face of climate-driven weather events.