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Forest Sustainability in the Development of Wood Bioenergy in the US

With the development of renewable energy sources to meet the
challenges of energy security and climate change, wood bioenergy
and biofuels have the potential to become a much larger part
of the nation’s energy future. There is concern that efforts to
expand the production and use of this energy source could have
unintended environmental and economic consequences for forests
in several regions of the United States. However, there are
policy options at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as
opportunities, that can minimize the sustainability risks related
to the development of a wood bioenergy industry.
Over the past year, the Pinchot Institute for Conservation and
the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the
Environment convened a national policy dialogue on ensuring
forest sustainability in the development of wood bioenergy in
the United States. This dialogue brought together a highly
knowledgeable group of individuals and organizations
representing the forest and energy sectors, as well as state, local,
and tribal government, conservation organizations, and academia.

Bioenergy Category
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