Today, Forisk Consulting released a new study warning that the EPA’s Tailoring Rule endangers over 130 renewable energy projects, between 11,000 and 26,000 green jobs, and $18 billion in capital investment across the country.
Not only will the Tailoring Rule endanger jobs and economic opportunities, it will also endanger the future of renewable energy in the United States. Dr. Brooks Mendell, the lead author of the study, writes, “The Tailoring Rule lacks the specifics and explicit guidelines necessary to clear up the confusion around biomass. Unless the EPA reverses course and recognizes the benefits of biomass facilities…particularly in wood-rich states and regions, implementation of the rule could leave up to 30 states unable to meet renewable energy goals.”
NAFO President Dave Tenny spoke about the study’s stark findings, saying, “The Tailoring Rule is a powerful deterrent to forest biomass energy investments and job opportunities. We’re already seeing the economic impact…renewable energy projects are being delayed or put on hold indefinitely due to regulatory uncertainty.”
Bipartisan lawmakers, over 100 scientists, and industry leaders nationwide have urged the EPA to amend the rule before it is implemented to reclassify biomass as carbon neutral. In doing so, the EPA would again be in line with sound science, historical precedent, and would return a sense of certainty to the biomass industry.
The full Forisk study can be found here.
More information about the Forisk study, including a one pager of highlights and the press release, can be found here.
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