AWC: Massachusetts Senators wrong on biomass

WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Robert Glowinski has issued the following statement on the letter Massachusetts Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for a ban on biomass as a compliance option for the president’s Climate Action Plan.

“This carbon neutrality of biomass harvested from sustainably managed forests has been recognized repeatedly by an abundance of studies, agencies, institutions, legislation and rules around the world. Renewable biomass-based energy has been identified as a key part of the U.S. energy solution and should continue to be recognized for its role in the sustainable carbon cycle.

“Almost 80 percent of the energy used by AWC member companies is generated from renewable biomass, most of which is in the form of residuals from manufacturing and operations. This biomass would otherwise be disposed of, at which point would also release CO2 to the atmosphere. Conversion to biomass energy recognizes and captures the inherent energy value prior to disposal, which allows for displacement of fossil fuel use. Further, the wood products created from use of this biomass energy store additional carbon for long periods of time, sequestering it from the atmosphere.”

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Editor’s Note
Excerpt from the Nov. 19 memorandum by Janet McCabe supporting biomass as a compliance option:

“In the implementation of the CPP, the EPA anticipates that some states will wish to include the use of biogenic feedstocks in their compliance plans. When considering state compliance plans, the Agency expects to recognize the biogenic CO2 emissions and climate policy benefits of waste-derived and certain forest-derived industrial byproduct feedstocks, based on the conclusions supported by a variety of technical studies, including the revised Framework. In addition, given the importance of sustainable land management in achieving the carbon reduction goals of the President's Climate Action Plan, the EPA expects that states' reliance specifically on sustainably-derived agricultural- and forest-derived feedstocks may also be an approvable element of their compliance plans.”

The American Wood Council (AWC) is the voice of North American wood products manufacturing, representing over 75 percent of an industry that provides approximately 400,000 men and women with family-wage jobs. AWC members make products that are essential to everyday life from a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon. Staff experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards for wood products to assure their safe and efficient design, as well as provide information on wood design, green building, and environmental regulations. AWC also advocates for balanced government policies that affect wood products.
www.awc.org | @woodcouncil