Background

Biomass is one of America’s most promising renewable energy resources.  Organic materials such as grasses, weeds and other quick-growing plants can be converted in to electricity or clean-burning fuels in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way. By using easily renewable plant material for energy generation, biomass technologies help protect the environment by reducing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, preserving important wildlife habitat and limiting the environmental damage associated with the extraction and combustion of traditional fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Biomass technologies are used in the production of clean transportation fuels, electricity, chemicals and much more.  By replacing more polluting forms of energy generation, biomass resources help America reduce its dependence on Persian Gulf oil while creating jobs and fueling economic growth across America.

Thousands of opportunities exist across the country to capture the energy potential of this little-used resource, particularly in rural states with a significant agricultural infrastructure already in place.  Unfortunately, biomass has not entered the market more widely because fossil fuels – both their extraction and their use – have been heavily subsidized in this country.  However, valuing the environmental benefits of biomass, or the negative impacts of fossil fuels, will allow biomass to compete economically and provide a greater portion of the U.S. energy supply in the 21st century.

Currently, no single definition of biomass exists at the federal level and many states lack detailed definitions as well. As a result, many categories of materials are lumped under the banner of biomass that do not provide the environmental benefits of sustainable biomass and actually have the potential to do significant environmental harm. Municipal solid waste, for example, often is mischaracterized as biomass when it contains a substantial percentage of inorganic material, such as metals and plastics, as well as a variety of toxic materials such as creosote-treated wood, batteries that contain mercury, and other hazardous products that release highly dangerous and potentially fatal emissions when combusted. Most forest resources should also be excluded from any definition of sustainable biomass, or policies designed to secure environmental benefits will have the potential to encourage environmentally destructive clear cutting and thinning in our forests and roadless areas.

To guard against this problem, a coalition of environmental groups including Defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Defense Council crafted a definition of biomass that ensures that this promising technology will meet or exceed its potential as a clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear power. While this definition will be difficult to pass at the federal level under the current Administration and will have to be updated over times as more is learned about different forms of biomass, states have the opportunity to lead the way in ensuring that biomass projects are as environmentally friendly as possible. 

By adopting this definition in your state, you can help prevent the release of toxic chemicals into your air as well as the environmentally destructive clear-cutting of your state’s forest resources while providing a budding renewable energy technology with the increased visibility and attention it needs to gain a foothold in the marketplace. By encouraging environmentally friendly biomass production and generation you will also help give rise to a growing industry and create jobs and investment in your state.