Sustainable Forest Biomass: Promoting Renewable Energy and Forest Stewardship

This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the role of woody biomass from forest management as a renewable, low-carbon substitute for fossil fuels in the United States. It argues that while biomass can support forest stewardship and rural economies, federal policy must ensure sustainability to avoid overharvesting and biodiversity loss. The document provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations across five areas: forest sustainability, renewable energy incentives, bioenergy incentives, feedstock development, and research and outreach.

• Woody biomass from forest management is identified as a renewable, low-carbon feedstock that can replace fossil fuels in energy production and other products, serving as a tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat global climate change.
• While biomass harvesting can support biodiversity conservation, ecological restoration, and wildfire prevention, there is a risk that increased demand could lead to unsustainable harvesting levels, negatively impacting soil, water conservation, and biodiversity.
• The economic viability of bioenergy is often hindered by high costs associated with harvesting, transporting, storing, and utilizing biomass, which frequently exceed its market value. These costs are exacerbated by the fact that fossil fuel prices do not account for the social costs of climate change.
• Stakeholders emphasize that sustainability must be site-specific and not governed by highly prescriptive national rules, as management needs vary significantly across different forest types and ecological conditions.
• Public trust is a critical barrier to the success of public-private partnerships and forest restoration on public lands. Distrust often stems from fundamental disagreements over whether public lands should be managed for a 'natural' landscape or for multiple social, economic, and ecological objectives.
• Current federal energy incentives are criticized for being non-neutral, creating artificial distinctions between 'open loop' (residues/byproducts) and 'closed loop' (dedicated energy crops) biomass, and failing to provide incentives for thermal energy and combined heat-and-power (CHP) systems.
• The report recommends establishing a carbon price on greenhouse gas pollutants as a technology-neutral way to disincentivize fossil fuels and drive innovation in renewable energy, provided it is based on full lifecycle analysis rather than simple stack emissions.
• To prevent overharvesting, the report suggests that the U.S. needs a high-quality renewable resource assessment, a national system of environmental indicators, and 'look back' provisions in legislation to monitor the combined impacts of total biomass use.
• The report identifies the 'cancellation ceiling' in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) as a significant financial barrier that prevents federal agencies from engaging in the multi-year stewardship contracts necessary for long-term restoration projects.
• There is a noted lack of scientific knowledge regarding the specific impacts of removing larger quantities of small-diameter trees on nutrient cycling, soil structure, and wildlife habitat, necessitating expanded research and competitive grant programs.

APA

Caputo, J. (2009). Sustainable Forest Biomass: Promoting Renewable Energy and Forest Stewardship. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_sustforbio_final_070609.pdf

Chicago

Caputo, Jesse. Sustainable Forest Biomass: Promoting Renewable Energy and Forest Stewardship. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2009. https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_sustforbio_final_070609.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Caputo |first1=Jesse |title=Sustainable Forest Biomass: Promoting Renewable Energy and Forest Stewardship |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=July 2009 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_sustforbio_final_070609.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{caputo2009sustainable, author = {Caputo, Jesse}, title = {{Sustainable Forest Biomass: Promoting Renewable Energy and Forest Stewardship}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2009}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/eesi_sustforbio_final_070609.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }