Considerations for Factoring Biomass into Clean Energy

Monday, July 5, 2010; A12

Many lawmakers want the government to require utilities to derive a…percentage of…electricity from clean sources. [O]ne [source] is…renewable biomass — everything from forest debris to algae, which can be burned in some power plants.

That logic works well if harvesting biomass results in additional net plant growth, or if you’re collecting discarded forest debris…. Chopping down.., burning forest that gobbles up/stores…carbon…could easily do more harm than good.

Source: Washington Post