Federal Biomass Energy Policy

State and federal energy policy is focused predominantly on transportation fuels and electricity, not on heating. Yet it is in thermal energy use that the Northern Forest has the most to gain (or lose). The Northeast consumes 84% of the entire U.S. supply of home heating oil—5.5 billion gallons of heating oil annually. Buying this oil sends $10 billion overseas to foreign nations each year.

Substituting sustainably produced energy from woody biomass for even a portion of this oil use can benefit the Northern Forest region by reducing its reliance on foreign oil, strengthening the economic basis for sustainable forestry in the region, and creating new economic opportunities for Northern Forest communities. To complement its own biomass energy programming, The Center works with partners across the region and beyond to identify and advocate for ways that federal energy policy can support the region in realizing this potential.

180 Sign Biofuels Policy Letter to USDA

This fall, the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) released and began hosting listening sessions on its national Biofuels Strategy. To follow up on the New Hampshire session, The Center drafted a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack expressing concern that the policy did not recognize the unique thermal energy generation potential of the Northeast and requesting flexibility in how different regions of the country meet the renewable energy goals set forth in the policy. This letter was subsequently adopted by the Northeast Biomass Thermal Working Group (NEBTWG) as the basis for a regional sign-on letter that garnered over 180 signatures. NEBTWG and Northern Forest Center representatives and partners traveled to Washington, D.C., in November and December to personally deliver the letter to USDA officials.