NASF joined a coalition representing a broad set of interests, including companies, state foresters, private landowners, and forestry and conservation groups with concerns about misinformation regarding the use of renewable biomass. The letter urges the Department of the Treasury and Department of Energy to ensure under-utilized woody biomasses are eligible for critical tax incentives in the IRA for clean fuel production.
The letter points to incorrect data resulting from misinformed groups’ use of outdated modeling methodologies for life cycle assessment for renewable biomass. The coalition letter emphasizes the need to use the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) model (U.S. Department of Energy’s Office Energy and Efficiency and Renewable Energy) when evaluating life-cycle emissions. Woody biomass or renewable biomass utilization is a critical aspect of reducing the risk of wildfire in our forests, both public and private.
“Forest residuals remaining on the ground, overly dense stands remaining unthinned, and dead beetled infested trees left standing are all signs of the under- utilization of biomass power. These conditions all contribute to an increase in risk of wildfire, and associated increase into emissions, some of which are higher in concentration than carbon oxides such as decaying wood in forests to methane.”
Markets for woody biomass serve as a mitigating tool against wildfire risk and as a source of renewable, domestic energy production.