PRESS
CBEA Applauds Legislature and Governor For The Passage of Senate Bill 1109
New Law Promotes The Use of Biomass Power
Friday, September 16, 2022
Contact:
Matt Ross
(916) 206-9818
SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1109 by Senator Anna Caballero, which extends requirements on electric investor-owned utilities (IOUs) to procure energy from biomass generating electric facilities by five years.
“CBEA applauds the Legislature and the Governor for their work to promote healthy forests and renewable energy by passing and signing Senate Bill 1109,” said Julee Malinowski-Ball, Executive Director of the California Biomass Energy Alliance. “We are especially grateful for Senator Anna Caballero’s hard work in support of the biomass industry and its thousands of direct and ancillary jobs.”
This law calls on the IOUs to extend existing contracts or procure 125 megawatts (MWs) of sustainable and renewable power from biomass generating facilities.
“SB 1109 is the right bill at the right time supporting California forest, energy, and climate policy,” added Malinowski-Ball.
Over the past 16 months, millions of California’s 33 million acres of forestland have burned. At this rate, much of California’s forests may be lost forever by mid-century. The clean water, fresh air, carbon sequestration, forest products, recreation, and biodiversity these forests make possible will disappear.
Leaving excess forest waste and overgrowth material in the state’s ecologically stressed forests leaves the forests at high risk of massively destructive wildfires, impedes the function of watersheds, diminishes wildlife habitat, and has other adverse effects on the forests. Undisturbed mature forests in California typically had a canopy-closure density in the neighborhood of 60 percent. Some of the state’s overgrown forests today have canopy closures above 90 percent. These forests are being choked, and, as a result, they cannot provide the level of ecosystem services they should be able to.
Existing biomass facilities consumed almost 1.3 million bone dry tons of wood waste last year alone, with most of that coming in as forest waste. The biomass facilities are taking the forest waste and cutting criteria pollutant emissions by up to 98% with highly controlled emissions technologies compared with open burning.
“The biomass industry will continue to be an essential tool in reducing greenhouse emissions by providing clean, green, sustainable renewable energy,” said Julee Malinowski-Ball.
The California Biomass Energy Alliance (CBEA) promotes biomass energy to reach California’s environmental and economic goals. CBEA represents biomass facilities as well as providers of fuel, equipment, and services for the facilities. There are currently 23 operating solid fuel biomass power plants in 17 counties throughout California.
California Biomass Energy Alliance Commends Governor Brown for Assisting the Biomass Industry by Signing Senate Bill 859
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
SACRAMENTO – Executive Director of the California Biomass Energy Alliance
(CBEA), Julee Malinowski-Ball, issued the following statement after Governor Jerry
Brown signed Senate Bill 859.
“We commend Governor Jerry Brown for signing Senate Bill 859. The Governor
understands the importance of the biomass industry as it pertains to the state’s
renewable energy portfolio standard and the eradication of dead and dying trees from
high hazard fire zones.
“This law will provide some certainty to the biomass industry which has struggled due
to antiquated contracts. Under SB 859, investor-owned utilities and large public-owned
utilities must enter into five-year contracts for a portion of at least 125 megawatts of
power from biomass facilities that generate electricity through the use of forest
materials removed from specific high fire hazard zones.
“Most importantly, this law protects hundreds of jobs, reduces greenhouse gas
emissions and promotes long-term forest management goals.
“CBEA praises the Governor and the Legislature for their ongoing support of the
biomass industry.”
NEWS
On Fire, Biomass Magazine
Salas Op-ed, Fresno Bee
Dahle Op-ed, Redding Record-Searchlight
Julee & Matt Op-Ed, Mercury News
Matt Diaz op-ed
Julee op-ed, Capitol Weekly
Turn California’s Dead Trees into Electricity
Senate bill gives biomass industry a boost
While cap-and-trade funds stay mired in debate, businesses feel the hit
State seeks way to solve ‘a big biomass problem’
If a Tree Falls in the Forest…Should We Use It to Generate Electricity?
EVENTS
BUILDING RESILIENCE AND HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS IN THE SIERRA NEVADA WATERSHED
September 27th and 28th, 2016
National Bioenergy Day
Celebrating Nature’s Energy Source — October 19th 2016