Washington, DC– Representative Kevin Kiley, I-CA., has introduced legislation aimed at encouraging the construction of new biomass facilities through federal tax incentives.
Kiley introduced H.R. 9746, the Biomass Facility Construction Act, which would establish a tax credit equal to 30% of the construction costs for qualifying biomass facilities. The legislation would also allow those facilities to receive an existing tax credit for energy produced through biomass. Kiley said the proposal is intended to address the accumulation of forest materials, including limbs, leaves, shrubs, bushes and dead wood, which can contribute to wildfire fuel loads. Kiley said the proposal is intended to address the accumulation of forest materials, including limbs, leaves, shrubs, bushes and dead wood, which can contribute to wildfire fuel loads.
“Our forests are overgrown and in desperate need of cleanup,” Kiley said in a statement. “A large contributor to this heightened wildfire risk is the buildup of limbs, leaves, shrubs, bushes, and dead wood, otherwise known as biomass.”
The proposed tax incentives are intended to encourage the development of additional biomass facilities, which supporters say could increase disposal options for forest management contractors while supporting energy production from biomass materials.
H.R. 9746 was introduced in Congress and would require approval by lawmakers before becoming law.
