The phrase alternative energy creates images of solar panel fields fanning out and large metallic windmills spinning in the distant horizon. But biomass, a lesser known but equally important member of the alternative energy portfolio, is slated to achieve a more prominent role in the northern Sierra region. The Placer County Planning Commission recently approved a conditional use permit and certified the environmental impact report for the proposed 2-megawatt biomass facility located off Highway 89 near the Nevada/Placer County border. Biomass facilities essentially convert wood-based organic material gathered from the environment into electricity, using gasification technology that is used as …