21.201 A Resolution in Opposition to State Incentives for Biomass Plants - Certified City of Northampton
MASSACHUSETTS
In the City Council, March 4, 2021
Upon the Recommendation of: Councilor Alex Jarrett
Councilor Rachel Maiore
Northampton Energy and Sustainability Commission
R-21.201
A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO STATE INCENTIVES FOR BIOMASS PLANTS
WHEREAS, the City of Northampton is committed to ensuring and safeguarding the health,
safety, and environment of the residents of our community; and
WHEREAS, wood-burning biomass plants are a highly polluting form of energy generation,
known to release pollutants including fine particulate matter, volatile organic
compounds, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth adopted science-driven Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)
regulations in 2012 recognizing that wood-burning power plants emit more
carbon dioxide than fossil fuel power plants per unit of energy generated; and
WHEREAS, due to the 2012 RPS regulations, the only wood-burning biomass plants eligible
for Massachusetts renewable energy incentives have been small, efficient
combined-heat-and-power biomass plants; and
WHEREAS, if the weakened RPS regulations proposed in December 2020 by the
Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) go into effect,
Massachusetts incentives would be available for inefficient large-scale biomass
power plants; and
WHEREAS, the proposed RPS regulations would wrongly incentivize the construction of a
large-scale wood-burning biomass plant proposed by Palmer Renewable Energy
in Springfield, an Environmental Justice community already heavily burdened by
industrial air pollution and by record-setting rates of asthma and other
respiratory illnesses; and