King, Collins, Welch, Kelly Introduce Legislation to Support Affordable, Renewable, Home-Grown Energy

Press Release

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) along with U.S. Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) today introduced the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2017, legislation that incentivizes the development of biomass as an affordable, clean, and home-grown source of energy. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Oreg.) are also original sponsors of the bill.

"Biomass offers an efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly way for people to heat their homes and businesses, which is why it would only make sense to incentivize purchasing it like we do other low-cost types of energy," Senator King said. "With this change, we could reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, lower energy costs, and support local economies -- a true hat-trick for Maine."

"Biomass is a sustainable and cost-effective source of power for homes and businesses and an essential part of our nation's energy future," said Senator Collins. "Our legislation will help more Americans upgrade to efficient, renewable biomass energy heating systems as well as support jobs tied to the forest products industry."

"Biomass heating systems are a great way to reduce heating bills while improving the environment," said Congressman Welch. "Using a regionally sourced fuel like wood will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and spur Vermont's local wood fuel industry. This bipartisan legislation will make it more affordable for Vermonters to install a modern wood heating system so they can lower their energy costs and increase our energy independence."

"With biomass fuels an affordable and abundant natural resource in Pennsylvania, this bill would encourage the further development of advanced biomass technologies similar to other renewable energy technologies already included in the tax code. Pennsylvania's hardwood forests are some of the finest in the world and our hardwood producers are important job creators in so many of our rural communities," said Congressman Kelly. "The BTU Act would help harness the region's enormous biomass production potential and be a win-win-win for America's energy independence, security, and rural economies, where wood chips, wood pellets, and native grasses are locally produced."

More specifically, the bill would amend the federal tax code to incentivize biomass energy through tax credits for capital costs incurred in residential and commercial installations. Tax incentives already exist for other forms of renewable energy and this bill seeks to achieve parity between those renewable systems and thermal biomass systems.

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