Biomass is not a climate friendly energy source

The Massachusetts legislature is finalizing climate legislation that includes a strange proposal. As this petition puts it:

The bill would also classify commercial wood burning biomass incinerators as “non emitting sources” of energy and create new incentives for municipally-owned electric companies to purchase their power. And there is only one incinerator like this proposed in the state – right in the center of Springfield – a city that has been named the asthma capital of the United States twice by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

It’s ludicrous to call biomass incineration a non-emitting source as burning wood has been show to be worse for the climate than natural gas. And it’s incredibly inequitable, of course, because of the local impacts of emissions. Today, I signed that petition.