The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will wait three years before developing greenhouse gas permitting requirements for industries that use biomass for electricity.
EPA will use the wait-period to decipher information from experts whether burning biomass emits the same or more amount of carbon dioxide than if the biomass was not burned.
After the three years, EPA will announce new greenhouse gas permitting standards under the Clean Air Act.
“We are working to find a way forward that is scientifically sound and manageable for both producers and consumers of biomass energy. In the coming years we will develop a commonsense approach that protects our environment and encourages the use of clean energy,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a statement. “Renewable, homegrown power sources are essential to our energy future, and an important step to cutting the pollution responsible for climate change.”
