Review of the Manomet Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study

The review concludes that the Manomet study likely underestimates the net carbon emissions of biomass energy due to overly optimistic assumptions regarding forest regrowth, soil carbon, and fuel sourcing. While the Manomet study suggests utility-scale biomass emissions are higher than coal and natural gas, the review argues that the perceived benefits for small-scale thermal and CHP plants are likely illusory. Key criticisms include the model's reliance on harvesting large trees to maximize regrowth, the omission of soil carbon losses, and the failure to account for indirect land-use effects such as firewood leakage.

• The Manomet study concludes that utility-scale biomass power results in higher net emissions than coal after 40 years and higher emissions than natural gas even after 90 years.
• The Manomet model's carbon recovery estimates are likely too optimistic because they assume the harvest of large, old trees, which opens more space for regrowth, whereas actual biomass harvesting typically removes low-diameter, low-value material.
• The review identifies a significant flaw in the Manomet study's focus on 'single plot' analysis, which suggests a faster time-to-parity with fossil fuels than an integrated analysis of a continuously operating facility.
• The Manomet study assumes that 65% of tops and limbs can be removed for fuel without harming forest ecological functions, but the review notes this may be incompatible with maintaining soil nutrient status.
• The review asserts that the Manomet model incorrectly treats soil carbon emissions as negligible, ignoring significant CO2 releases that occur when mineral soils are disturbed by logging.
• The Manomet study fails to account for indirect land-use effects, specifically the risk that biomass harvesting could displace firewood harvesting, leading to increased overall forest cutting.
• The review finds that the Manomet study underestimates the carbon debt of wood pellets by treating them as equivalent to green wood chips and underestimating the amount of green wood required for production.
• The Manomet study concludes that wood from land-clearing has lower carbon debts than forestry wood, but the review notes this is not substantiated by modeling and ignores the fact that cleared land cannot regrow.

APA

Booth, M. S. (2010). Review of the Manomet Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study. Clean Air Task Force. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093452/201007-Review_of_the_Manomet_Biomass_Sustainability_and_Carbon_Policy_Study.pdf

Chicago

Booth, Mary S. Review of the Manomet Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study. Clean Air Task Force, 2010. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093452/201007-Review_of_the_Manomet_Biomass_Sustainability_and_Carbon_Policy_Study.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Booth |first1=Mary S. |title=Review of the Manomet Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=July 2010 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093452/201007-Review_of_the_Manomet_Biomass_Sustainability_and_Carbon_Policy_Study.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{booth2010review, author = {Booth, Mary S.}, title = {{Review of the Manomet Biomass Sustainability and Carbon Policy Study}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2010}, month = jul, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/21093452/201007-Review_of_the_Manomet_Biomass_Sustainability_and_Carbon_Policy_Study.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }