Sawdust on a level playing field

gmosier — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:23:13 +0000

Yesterday I met with the founders of a stealth-mode biomass energy company. They are local, but their venture is focused on those states in which there is an abundance of lumber and pulp wood. Sawdust, chips, brush and tree parts are feedstock for a variety of carbon neutral energy processes including gasification, pyrolysis and wood pellets. In our discussion they voiced their concern about the exclusionary nature of the definition of Renewable Fuel Standard. I think the point they raise has merit particularly when you consider that 30% of the land area of the U.S. is owned by the Federal government. I’ve reprinted a portion of their e-mail to me below.

We believe the definition of renewable biomass within the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 should be changed to remove the term “non-federal” from Section 201 (1) (I) (ii) and (iv). The current definition prevents almost all federal land biomass – such as trees, wood, brush, thinnings, chips and slash – from counting toward the Renewable Fuel Standard. Federal lands, particularly in the Western U.S., are at increased risk from wildfire because of the lack of regular thinning, the propensity to fight all fires regardless of size or risk to life and/or property and the impact of infestations such as the western pine beetle. Changing the language to include the sustainable management of federal forest land will not only decrease the fire danger, it will enhance the overall health of the forests. The woody biomass extracted from federal lands will also increase the volume of renewable fuels available to the country; thereby, incrementally decreasing the amount of imported foreign petroleum.

Glenn Mosier's Focus on Clean Tech » Renewable Fuel Standard

Sawdust on a level playing field