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Bioenergy in Renewable Energy Standards

MCLI Recommendation: “States could eliminate non-waste forms of biomass as qualifying renewable resources in their RPS.”

LPDD Recommendation: “States with an active RPS (the time horizon for some RPS has passed), and states that may adopt an RPS in the future, should include sustainability requirements based on life-cycle analysis in the definition of qualifying biomass.”

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6 resources

Resource States and State Governments

Report, Defining Biomass as a Source of Renewable Energy

Zeller-Powell’s 2011 thesis, Defining Biomass as a Source of Renewable Energy: The Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions of Biomass Energy and a Survey and Analysis of Biomass Definitions in States’ Renewable P...

Example States and State Governments

Massachusetts RPS

Massachusetts’ RPS provides for biomass life cycle analysis, setting a standard for ensuring the carbon benefit of biomass production. Biomass facilities must provide a statement of qualification that...

Resource States and State Governments

Report, Environmental Justice in the Renewable Energy Transition

Ourka’s 2012 report provides a comparison of variable state definitions of biomass at page 86.

Example States and State Governments

California RPS biomass verification requirements

California’s RPS imposes a reporting requirement that applicants submit information on the type and source of biomass used. However, it does not impose further standards for cultivation, collection, o...

Model Law States and State Governments

LPDD Model Law: Carbon-Neutral Bioenergy Acquisition Law

As states consider carbon neutrality plans, the emissions profile of biomass as a resource in the statewide energy portfolio must be considered. A number of peer reviewed studies have maintained that ...

Example States and State Governments

Michigan RPS Biomass Definition

Michigan’s RPS defines biomass to exclude trees and wood unless that are derived from sustainably managed forests or procurement systems.