President and CEO of the American Wood Council (AWC), Robert Glowinski, together with President and CEO of American Forest & Paper Association, Donna Harman, have requested the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) to recognize the advantages of using biomass as a fuel source within its Clean Power Plan (CPP) federal plan and model carbon trading rules.
“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,” Glowinski said.
He added that the final Federal Plan should include carbon neutral biomass as a compliance option, as to make sure that EPA could consider biomass energy capable to reduce greenhouse gas reduction. In addition, EPA also has to recognize the carbon neutrality of biomass energy in their regulations.
“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,” Harman said.
She also stated that the industry depends on forest biomass and manufacturing residuals as to generate nearly two-thirds of the energy they need to function. Inefficiencies and unnecessary waste may be generated by the failure to list these materials as proper sources of energy, Harman added.
About AWC
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 in the United States with family-wage jobs.
About AF&PA
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) serves to advance a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy.
[gravityform id="1" title="true" description="true"]
[gravityform id="2" title="true" description="true"]
