USIPA Provides Sustainable Solutions

Wood pellets are a vital part of the energy mix and provide needed base load power to energy systems around the world. They are good for the environment and carbon beneficial when compared to fossil fuels. Foresters and producers work together to maximize the benefits to U.S. forests while ensuring that emissions remain low during sourcing, production and transport.

Bioenergy is renewable fuel made from organic matter that reduces carbon emissions. Power producers seeking to decrease their dependence on fossil fuels and reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants are the primary users of bioenergy. European governments have adopted aggressive, mandatory renewable energy targets for 2020 and beyond. Many EU Member States have put additional regulations in place that are designed to phase out or significantly reduce the use of coal and other fossil fuels. Existing coal-fired infrastructure can be converted to use wood-based bioenergy.

According to the UK Environment Agency, switching from coal to bioenergy for power production results in a reduction of between 74% and 90% in net carbon emissions. The main reason for this is the carbon cycle. When wood bioenergy is burned, the carbon that the wood absorbed during growth is released into the atmosphere. In contrast, fossil fuels add to overall levels of CO2 in the atmosphere because the carbon released would have remained underground indefinitely.