The burning of wood and other organic material known collectively as “biomass” for commercial power is poised to grow in Virginia.
Case in point: Dominion Virginia Power plans to convert three small coal-fired power plants into biomass plants. But that’s not necessarily a good thing, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center and similar-minded groups that recently released a report called: Biomass Supply and Carbon Accounting for Southeastern Forests.
“How biomass is obtained, burned, and regrown determines its carbon footprint and impact on forest health,” David Carr, an attorney at the center, said in a statement issued Feb. 14. “To do this right, EPA must require a ‘forest-to-furnace’ accounting of the biomass carbon cycle to ensure it doesn’t hasten climate change.”
To read the report, click here.