California’s representative Kevin Kiley has introduced legislation that would provide new tax incentives for the construction of biomass facilities, aiming to expand the country’s biomass processing capacity while supporting wildfire prevention efforts.
The Biomass Facility Construction Act (H.R. 9746) proposes a tax credit covering 30% of the cost of constructing new biomass facilities. The legislation would also allow eligible facilities to claim the existing federal tax credit for electricity generated from biomass, enabling them to benefit from both incentives.
Kiley said the proposal is designed to address the growing accumulation of forest biomass, including limbs, leaves, shrubs, bushes and dead wood, which increases wildfire risks by providing additional fuel.
“Our forests are overgrown and in desperate need of cleanup,” Kiley said, adding that the build-up of biomass has become a major contributor to increasingly severe wildfires.
According to Kiley, one of the biggest challenges facing forest management contractors is the lack of sufficient biomass facilities to process material removed during wildfire mitigation and forest restoration projects.
The proposed tax incentives are intended to encourage investment in new biomass facilities, creating additional capacity to process forest residues while reducing disposal costs and improving the economics of wildfire prevention efforts.
Supporters of the legislation say expanding biomass infrastructure would not only strengthen forest management but also increase renewable energy generation by converting forest residues into electricity and other bioenergy products.
