GC: n

CT: Biomass power is carbon neutral electricity generated from renewable organic waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, openly burned, or left as fodder for forest fires.
When burned, the energy in biomass is released as heat. If you have a fireplace, you already are participating in the use of biomass as the wood you burn in it is a biomass fuel.
In biomass power plants, wood waste or other waste is burned to produce steam that runs a turbine to make electricity, or that provides heat to industries and homes. Fortunately, new technologies — including pollution controls and combustion engineering — have advanced to the point that any emissions from burning biomass in industrial facilities are generally less than emissions produced when using fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil). ReEnergy has included these technologies in our facilities.

S: http://www.reenergyholdings.com/renewable-energy/what-is-biomass/ (last access: 27 February 2015)

N: The Biomass Power Association is the nation’s leading organization working to expand and advance the use of clean, renewable biomass power. The Association represents 80 biomass power plants in 20 states across the U.S.
Increasing America’s use of biomass and other renewable energy is the first step in combating climate change and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Biomass power generates carbon neutral electricity from natural organic waste, providing sustainable energy.
2. The existing fleet of biomass plants in the U.S. is dominated by industrial boilers that generate heat and power by burning sawmill and papermill waste. It’s not a large industry, though it’s a surprisingly influential one. Now, however, a new fleet of biomass plants are being built. These plants are bigger, are being pushed by developers cashing in “renewable” power subsidies and other financial incentives, and they rely on forest wood for fuel. In most cases, this means they’ll burn trees, because the “logging residues” that developers usually claim they’ll burn are too scarce to provide the volumes of fuel required. These plants, as well as other demands for “energy wood” that include co-firing biomass at coal plants, wood pellet manufacturing, and wood as feedstock for cellulosic biofuels, will increase air pollution, accelerate forest cutting, and transfer millions of tons of forest carbon directly into the atmosphere right when forest carbon storage is needed most.

S: 1. http://www.biomasspowerassociation.com/ (last access: 27 February 2015). 2. http://www.pfpi.net/biomass-basics-2 (last access: 27 February 2015).

SYN: biomass power station, biomass plant, biomass station.

S: TERMIUMPLUS

CR: biomass, biomass energy, electrical energy, solar thermal energy.