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Regulatory Standards & Definitions
Well-crafted emissions standards, regulations, and resource definitions can help the nation meet the goals of clean, abundant, and secure energy sources, like biomass. Use the links below to navigate throughout the page.
EPA Boiler Regulations
Regulation of Biogenic Emissions
Definition of Biomass Resources
EPA Boiler Regulations
UPDATE: On December 21, 2012, the EPA released final emissions rules for Area and Major Source Boilers. The final rules, which apply to industrial and commercial-sized biomass boilers, contain revisions designed to promote clean air while ensuring biomass heating remains one of the most cost-effective, domestically produced renewable energy sources available to Americans.
BTEC commented on the new rules here >>.
Join BTEC today to learn more about the impact of the rules or to get connected to BTEC's efforts in this area. Members also gain access to comprehensive factsheets on this and other regulatory and legislative issues.
Background
On June 4, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a Proposed Rule for Area Source Boilers that threatened to severely curtail the future growth of the biomass thermal industry and place prohibitively expensive emissions requirements on existing equipment. Final Rules were published on March 21, 2011, but are currently undergoing a reconsideration process that is expected to finalize changes by the end of April 2012.
A working group of BTEC members has spent a considerable amount of effort in developing BTEC's public comments to the EPA.
More information:
Regulation of Biogenic Emissions
BTEC supports environmental regulations that recognize the enormous potential of carbon-neutral biomass thermal energy to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel based-heating systems. By improving the management of existing forests and plantations, and by growing new trees and plants, some biomass energy projects will create additional carbon stocks--going beyond carbon neutral to carbon beneficial.
More information:
Definition of Biomass Resources
BTEC seeks an inclusive, universal federal definition of biomass, streamlining the myriad of federal biomass definitions and increasing access to renewable resources.
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