The Wall Street Journal published an article this week about biomass power generation facilities in the United States and how a large majority of them have violated state and federal pollution regulations.

85 of the 107 biomass plants in the U.S. have been cited for air or water pollution violations at some time during the past 5 years.

Biomass power generation is up about 14% over the last 10 years.  Biomass represents about 11% of the country’s alternative electricity-production.

Why the growth of biomass power generation?

Biomass burning, by its very nature, can be branded as renewable, carbon-neutral, green power.

Biomass is considered carbon-neutral, because the carbon would eventually get into the atmosphere anyway when the wood or plant material decays, so releasing it as it burns is considered inconsequential.

Nearly all U.S. biomass plants receive government support from subsidies, grants or state-approved power contracts. The federal economic-stimulus act of 2009 provided more than $11 billion for renewable power, of which about $270 million went to biomass plants, in grants administered by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Read the article:
Wood-Fired Plants Generate Violations (The Wall Street Journal)