Massachusetts Biomass Regulations: The Model for Getting Biomass Policy Right

NRDC Switchboard
Sami Yassa’s Blog

Posted April 27, 2012
Today, Massachusetts’s Governor Deval Patrick’s administration took bold leadership in announcing new standards to ensure that the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard rewards only biomass energy that reduces carbon emissions. These standards are the first in the world to set a performance requirement for biomass and are critical to reducing carbon emissions and protecting forests, both in Massachusetts and nationally.

These standards are important because they finally define and favor good biomass over bad. Some biomass, such as sustainably produced energy crops like switchgrass grown on non-forested land, are a good thing — they can power our home while cutting carbon pollution. But, unfortunately, we’re increasingly seeing a very damaging trend — burning whole trees to produce electricity. This practice actually increases carbon emissions compared with fossil fuels for decades, and threatens our forest ecosystems as well.

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