The bulk of the Vermont Climate Council’s meeting Monday involved discussing revised recommendations for the use of biomass in electric generation.
In 2022 the Council’s Biomass Task Group began drafting recommendations for the use of biomass or whether it should be phased out. They were brought to the council this April, reviewed and returned for revision.
The revised draft presented Monday outlines the potential benefits and harms of using biomass. It also recommends a study to determine what greenhouse gas reductions would occur, the impact on electricity costs and electricity resilience if biomass use was phased out.
Connecticut River Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter chair and former Vermont House member David Deen was appointed to the Climate Council to represent rural communities. He said the revisions address earlier concerns but do not significantly change its context.
“Most items that were in the report that came out of the initial subcommittee are still in this report," said Deen. "We have sort of changed the tone and what were presented as sort of complete statements were changed into questions because there really wasn’t the documentation to underwrite assertions that were in the original version. But the concerns, the issues that everybody wanted addressed are still incorporated in this version.”
During public comments ecologist Cheryl Joy Lipton of Chester, Vermont said it’s mindboggling that the Climate Council is considering continuing the use of biomass.
“Wood burning is worse than burning coal," asserted Lipton. "If you continue to allow biomass burning it truly shows what a joke the Vermont Climate Council is and the Legislature. It is really ridiculous and a lot of people know it.”
“Point of order Mr. Chairman," interrupted Deen. "Such language is inappropriate in a public meeting!”
“I’m not worried about language,” replied council chair David Plumb.
“This sounds really harsh," added Lipton, "but you are rejecting science here and I’m very upset.”
The criticism continued when Burlington resident Ashley Adams noted that biomass is being phased out across the Northeast because it undermines climate goals.
“Climate and ecological collapse is happening right now and the window of opportunity for doing something about it is slamming shut," said Adams. "And that is why the dithering in Vermont around biomass combustion is so maddening. There’s no reason to relearn what the Public Service Board already knew back in 2014 when it rejected the proposed Springfield biomass plant, concluding that the project would undermine Vermont’s ability to meet statutory goals for reducing greenhouse gases. The overwhelming evidence makes it clear that the unequivocal recommendation from this council should be to entirely phase out biomass electricity generation in Vermont.”
Danforth Pewter CEO Bram Kleppner was appointed to the Climate Council to represent Vermont manufacturers. He said he understands the concerns but says a comprehensive look at biomass is necessary.
“The original recommendation was shut down Vermont’s biomass plants," noted Kleppner. "And we want to understand fully the implications of leaving them open and the implications of closing them so that we can make a fully informed decision that does not have unintended consequences. If shutting down our biomass plants means that the forests in New Hampshire and in New York and in Quebec get cut at a higher rate to provide biomass, we haven’t changed anything.”
