What is Biomass Energy?
Biomass energy recovers, recycles, and repurposes forest debris and organic byproducts to create responsible and reliable energy.
Picture- scrap lumber, forest debris, and other organic byproducts that serve no other purpose and that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned, or left as fodder for forest fires.
Biomass energy uses these natural materials to generate clean and green energy while reducing pollution that would otherwise be generated from forest debris.
Biomass offers significant environmental and consumer benefits, including improving forest health, protecting air quality, and providing a reliable and responsible energy source.
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*Renewables Represent approx. 11% of Total U.S. Energy; Percentages based on numbers from U.S. Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, April 2018
Biomass as a Percentage of Total Renewable Energy Produced in the United States*
A new fuel focus, for more responsible and reliable energy. BIOMASS:
Biomass energy utilizes over 68.8 million tons of forest debris annually, improving forest health and dramatically reducing the risk of forest fires. In addition, the biomass energy industry repurposes millions of tons of organic byproducts and eliminates the need for frequent open burns.
In this way, Biomass energy greatly improves air quality.
Because it is not affected by changes in weather or environmental conditions, Biomass is an extremely responsible and reliable energy source. Biomass can produce a steady and dependable flow of electricity 24 hours a day, and seven days a week.
The reliability of biomass energy allows local utility companies to use it as an always-on and dependable energy source that can help the community’s energy demands. Currently, the biomass industry generates 15 million mega-watt hours of electricity annually.
By carefully repurposing organic, plant-based byproducts, biomass energy facilities vastly reduce pollution while also producing clean and green energy. Compared to open pile burning, biomass energy was found to have slashed pollutants like particulate matter and carbon monoxide by 97% or 98%.
Biomass energy is an expanding $1 billion industry with 80 facilities in 20 states that supplies over half of America’s renewable electricity. Nationwide, the biomass industry accounts for over 15,500 jobs, many of which are in small rural communities.
As America makes important commitments to renewable energy, biomass is the natural solution to meeting higher renewable standards. Specifically, biomass energy can play a major role in southeastern states that lack sustainable access to wind or solar energy. Biomass holds the greatest opportunity for achieving a strong national standard for renewable electricity.
