Clean Energy Doesn’t Come Out of a Smokestack

Our taxpayer money is subsidizing hundreds of new biomass incinerators being promoted by large corporations like Duke Energy and Covanta. These incinerators spew out toxic pollution and drive up our country’s health care costs.

At least 234 biomass electricity projects are lined up for taxpayer handouts under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the ARRA “stimulus package”).  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is poised to spend $461 of our taxpayer money to grow and process “biomass” some of which will be burned for so-called “clean” electricity.  The government pays 75% of the cost of growing biomass crops for burning for electricity.

“Biomass” has different definitions under state and federal laws.  It can mean trees, tires, garbage, poultry litter and more.  What’s common to every project is that biomass burning for electricity is nothing more than an incinerator in disguise.  Big corporations promote “biomass energy” as clean and green, when it is not.  Industry lobbyists have ensured the passage of state and federal laws that provide rate payer subsidies for biomass electricity, U.S. Department of Energy Loan Guarantees, tax credits and grants for building and operating biomass incinerators.

There are already at least 255 “biomass” electricity projects in the U.S.  We already get 50% of our “clean” and “renewable” energy from burning “biomass” for electricity.  Let’s spend our tax and ratepayer dollars on energy conservation, efficiency and clean renewables.  Big dollars for biomass projects is going to Duke Energy, Weyerhauser and Covanta-let’s spend that money on Main Street not on Wall Street to provide great profits for energy speculators.  Read our Report.

Other helpful reports:  Smoke and Mirrors Report on Biomass BREDL.pdf