Woody biomass is a sustainable substitute for fossil fuel-intensive products – and can play a key role in maintaining forest health. Our Nation’s forests are a sustainable and strategic natural resource that can help America achieve and enhance U.S. energy security, economic opportunity, environmental quality, and global competitiveness.

Bioenergy produces about 5.75% of the nation’s total energy, and supplies full-time jobs for tens of thousands of Americans. It is clean, renewable energy made from materials that are of low value or would often otherwise be discarded. Bioenergy creates new markets for low value wood fiber, which incents sustainable forest management, while supporting vibrant rural economies.

Bioenergy is a sustainable, renewable, and carbon-friendly energy source for many reasons. For an illustrated guide to bioenergy’s role in the carbon cycle, please visit the website for the National Alliance of Forest Owners.

1. The organic materials used for bioenergy often have few or no other productive uses. If these forest by-products were not used to produce heat or electricity, the materials would either be open or pile burned, or they might be left on the forest floor to decompose – a process that releases CO2 and methane, potent greenhouse gases. Also, when these residues are left on the ground, they contribute to the accumulation of hazardous fuels which lead to a greater risk of catastrophic wildfire. Wood energy is often generated using the byproducts of forest restoration activities, making restoration more economically feasible and creating a market for small diameter wood that would have otherwise been pile burned or contribute to uncharacteristic wildfire.
2. The use of organic materials to produce energy does not introduce new carbon into the atmosphere, unlike the use of fossil fuels for energy.
3. Bioenergy is a key part of sustainably managed forests and farms. The removal of lower value wood from forests is a sustainable practice that can enhance the health, productivity, and value of these lands. Bioenergy provides a beneficial, productive use for the lower value wood removed during forest thinning operations. Bioenergy is diversifying the forest products industry by providing new markets for lower value wood fiber, in addition to traditional timber markets.

Bioenergy is renewable and offers a sustainable, dependable supply that results in very low levels of fossil carbon emissions.. It can also be significantly less expensive than some fossil fuels, creating cost savings for users. Institutional buildings including hospitals and schools have successfully converted to wood energy projects and found it beneficial. It is also regionally accessible, providing local energy security and often enhancing economic development by creating jobs in rural areas. “Building stronger markets for innovative wood products supports sustainable forestry, reduces wildfire risk, and helps us treat more land and reduces air pollution,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.

Since bioenergy uses the byproducts of forest restoration treatments such as small-diameter trees, among other organic sources, it can be an effective way to reduce the risk of wildfires. (Please see the video on the homepage of www.bioenergyday.org to learn more about the role of bioenergy in forest restoration treatments.) Public-private partnerships across the country maintain federal forestlands while fueling clean energy projects. By combusting fire-prone materials for fuel, woody biomass production turns a hazard into an asset, preventing wildfires and contributing to forest health while augmenting our nation’s renewable energy supply. A 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment specifically highlighted woody biomass production as an effective tool for both forest management and carbon emissions reduction.

Similarly, markets for bioenergy provide private forest owners with the opportunity to invest in forest improvement and thinning that make forests healthier and more productive while improving biodiversity. These markets contribute to forest owners’ decisions to keep forests as forests.

Most Americans are familiar with other forms of renewable energy, like wind and solar. However, of the energy consumed by the nation, bioenergy from wood and wood-derived sources contributes about 2.3%. In 2016, approximately 19% of all renewable energy consumed was from wood (EIA, 2016) — that’s more than wind and solar combined and second only to hydroelectric energy. In addition, bioenergy complements wind and solar by providing a baseload renewable energy source that is available when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine.

Wood is an abundant, sustainable, and local resource that can contribute to reducing our dependence on petroleum. The National Climate Assessment released in May 2014 indicated that 30 percent of U.S. petroleum consumption could be offset by biomass sources. Bioenergy can help create a more stable energy future, improve environmental quality, and increase economic opportunities. Our Nation’s forests are a sustainable and strategic natural resource that can help America achieve and enhance U.S. energy security, economic opportunity, environmental quality, and global competitiveness. Woody biomass is a sustainable substitute for fossil fuel-intensive products.

Most Americans are familiar with other forms of renewable energy, like wind and solar. However, of the energy consumed by the nation, bioenergy from wood and wood-derived sources contributes about 2.3%. In 2016, approximately 19% of all renewable energy consumed was from wood (EIA, 2016) — that’s more than wind and solar combined and second only to hydroelectric energy. In addition, bioenergy complements wind and solar by providing a baseload renewable energy source that is available when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine.

An additional benefit of bioenergy is that it is most often produced on a local or regional-scale, which means it helps to sustain the communities it benefits. Because it is often produced on a local or small-scale level in a rural setting, it often doesn’t get the national recognition that other renewables receive. With National Bioenergy Day, we are hoping that more Americans become aware of the benefits of bioenergy.

The many steps involved in bioenergy production require that workers be employed to operate each link of the supply chain, from source to sink. Even beyond the thousands of jobs created for the construction and operation of biofuel plants, higher demand for bioenergy means higher demand for raw agricultural products, which accordingly creates jobs across rural America for farmers and foresters alike. In 2015 alone, the ethanol industry created an estimated 238,000 direct or indirect agricultural jobs according to a report by ABF Economics (ABF, 2015). The same report estimates that the bioenergy industry increased the average wages of workers in agriculture by at least $9,100, showing the immediate positive feedback felt by farmers and foresters due to the increased demand for raw agricultural products and associated higher prices. Because biofuel production involves the interdependence of many distinct industries, the scale and breadth of economic benefits realized by ethanol exceed what’s possible in other energy industries.

During his tenure as governor of Georgia, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue promoted the use of biofuels by establishing the first cellulosic (plant-based) ethanol plant in the country. Perdue understood the wide-ranging economic benefits of bioenergy production for workers at the plant as well as for Georgia’s foresters, as the cellulosic ethanol plant alone was slated to produce a total of 420 direct and indirect jobs (Georgia.gov). Now, as USDA Secretary, Perdue has reiterated his support for expanding and improving the bioenergy industry, assuring Americans that “renewable energy, ethanol, is here to stay. We’re going to look for new technologies to be even more efficient.”