SUPPORT S.2137/H.3211 - An Act limiting the eligibility of woody biomass as an alternative energy supply

According to the most recent EPA emissions data, residential and commercial wood heating accounted for 83% of all fine particulate (PM 2.5) emissions from Massachusetts’ heating sector, and 22% of the state’s total PM 2.5 emissions.1 Fine particles are especially harmful because they lodge deep in the lungs and can cross into the bloodstream. [...] In recognition of the health and environmental impacts of woody biomass combustion, the Legislature last year amended the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to remove renewable energy subsidies for biomass power plants. [...] Later, DOER proposed weakening the biomass standards in the RPS regulations to match the APS standards, in the name of “regulatory streamlining.” 1 Partnership for Policy Integrity www.pfpi.net WHY THIS LEGISLATION IS NEED. [...] The US EPA is currently in the process of updating the federal air quality standards for fine particles (PM 2.5), but many health experts believe that there is no safe level of exposure below which negative health effects aren’t seen.2 For years, the wood heating industry has contended that so-called “modern wood heating” is clean, efficient, and meets EPA’s latest emission standards. [...] More than 100 organizations called on the Legislature to remove woody biomass from both the RPS and the APS last year.7 In addition, Governor Maura Healey pledged to end subsidies for forest bioenergy, including commercial-scale heat, as part of her climate platform, stating that “Burning wood for bioenergy depletes our forests, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and is a threat to human health.”.