Forest biomass could replace 25 percent of the fossil fuels used for heating in the Northeast, according to a study released last week by the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York.
The report details how biomass could be used for energy in the Northeast – looking at resources in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and the rest of New England – and hedges its predictions by saying the forest resources in the Northeast need to be managed to protect the other services and good they provides.
“In targeted applications, the heat generated by locally-grown biomass can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and support local economies,” said Charles D. Canham, a Cary Institute forest ecologist and co-author of the report, in a statement. “But each forested landscape is different, and regional variation in forest conditions and energy infrastructure means there is no one-size-fits-all solution.”
To that end, the report recommends that forest resources replace only 1.4 percent of the Northeast’s fossil fuel to maintain sustainability in the forest environment.
“There is a misconception that Northeastern forestland is a vast, untapped resource,” Canham said. “This is simply not true. Unrealistic growth in biomass energy facilities could lead to serious degradation of forest resources. While forest biomass is part of the renewable energy toolkit, it is by no means a panacea.”
