AWC, AF&PA: biomass benefits should be recognized in clean power plan federal plan and model rules

American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Robert Glowinski and American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Donna Harman have issued the following statements after filing joint comments requesting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recognize the benefits of biomass as a fuel source in its Clean Power Plan (CPP) federal plan and model carbon trading rules.

Robert Glowinski, President and CEO, AWC:
“The greenhouse gas reduction benefits of using biomass manufacturing residuals for energy by the wood products industry are equivalent to removing the emissions of approximately 4.6 million cars from the road each year. Carbon neutral biomass should explicitly be included as a compliance option in the final Federal Plan and model rules to ensure that EPA and states can consider biomass energy to meet their greenhouse gas reduction goals. Moreover, EPA needs to fully recognize the carbon neutrality of biomass energy across their regulations.”

Donna Harman, President and CEO, AF&PA:
“EPA’s federal plan and model rules should provide for least-costly implementation possible to ratepayers and the economy, including recognizing the climate benefits of biomass energy. EPA needs to provide more certainty to biomass as a fuel. For example, the agency should list pre-approved qualified biomass fuels so that states know which options are on the table for CPP compliance. Our industry relies on forest biomass and manufacturing residuals in a variety of forms to generate about two-thirds of the energy we need to operate; failure to explicitly list these materials as good sources of energy will result in inefficiencies and unnecessary waste.”