Notes on Biomass

As noted here, energy from biomass (non-fossil organic matter) is a much bigger deal in Europe than it is in America. That’s largely because of the mandate to get rid of coal, on top of which, the industry got a heavy-duty shot in the arm in 2016 when the European Union declared that wood pellets are carbon neutral, and would therefore count as an offset to coal. 

There is high demand for wood pellets that are sometimes mixed with coal, and a great deal of this fuel comes from the southeastern part of the U.S. (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana) where trees of many different species grow well in the hot, wet climate, and where land is fairly inexpensive and provides easy access to transportation across the Atlantic.  I’ve seen many clean energy business plans/investment opportunities over the years, and I can’t recall one that contemplated sourcing wood feedstock from any other part of the nation.

Think of it: these Europeans actually have an energy policy that calls for the phasing out of fossil fuels. In point of fact, they really care about a healthy, clean environment and are taking steps to achieve it.  Truly remarkable.