biomass energy
Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
The Inflation Reduction Act’s green energy promise is putting Black communities at risk
A proposed tax credit for biomass energy plants could accelerate pollution in Black communities in the rural South, where forests are already being depleted for European energy demands.
In short:
- Biomass plants, which burn wood pellets for energy, emit carcinogens and other pollutants, disproportionately affecting Black and low-income communities.
- The proposed tax credit could subsidize biomass facilities, despite evidence that these plants are more harmful to the environment than coal.
- Over a million acres of forests in the rural South are being cleared for biomass production, worsening health and environmental outcomes for local residents.
Key quote:
"Ultimately, we’re killing the Earth and each other. It’s a false climate solution that leaves Black and brown communities still bearing the brunt of the damage."
— Treva Gear, Georgia activist
Why this matters:
Communities like Adel, Georgia are left with the pollution, loss of green space and the destruction of the very forests we depend on to capture carbon. It’s an ironic twist—clean energy for Europe, while Black communities in the South bear the brunt of the damage. Read more: How Europe’s wood pellet appetite worsens environmental racism in the US South.
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Credit: Martin Martz/Unsplash
Georgia regulators to vote on controversial biomass energy plan
Georgia Power's proposal to burn wood for energy has sparked debate over costs and pollution ahead of a key vote by state regulators.
In short:
- The Georgia Public Service Commission will vote on a proposal to add 80 megawatts of biomass-fueled power, with critics citing pollution and high costs.
- Environmental groups and consumer advocates argue the plan will lead to higher electricity bills, with costs estimated to be several times higher than other new energy sources.
- Supporters, including the Georgia Forestry Association, claim the biomass plan offers economic benefits and helps manage tree debris from storms like Hurricane Michael.
Key quote:
“The price of one unit of energy from the Altamaha PPA, it looks like it’s well over three times the avoided cost, or the economic value of a unit of this energy.”
— Aradhana Chandra, attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center
Why this matters:
The decision could set a precedent for future energy projects in Georgia, affecting both environmental outcomes and utility costs for residents.
For more:
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Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash
Amid losses, wood pellet company Enviva at risk of default
The company with a significant economic and environmental footprint in North Carolina is facing "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business.
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Photo by Nipun Jagtap on Unsplash
Enviva, the world’s largest biomass energy company, is near collapse
The company’s rapid downfall raises questions about how it can supply its annual 6 million metric tons of wood pellets to the UK, EU and Asia, and how nations relying on biomass to meet energy and climate commitments will cope.
Ank Kumar/Flickr
In Scotland, making whisky with energy from wind, wood chips and tides
Scotland's whisky industry is trying to go net-zero. It's not easy.
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William Murphy/Flickr
As waste-to-energy incinerators spread in Southeast Asia, so do concerns
Widely in use in countries including Japan, South Korea and northern Europe, waste-to-energy technology is making inroads in Southeast Asia, where it’s presented as a tried-and-tested green energy solution.
As biomass burning surges in Japan and South Korea, where will Asia get its wood?
The UK and EU were the primary users of woody biomass for energy. But Japan and South Korea have drastically stepped up their burning of wood pellets — potentially threatening forests, biodiversity, and the climate.
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