Minn. committee advances bill to classify woody biomass as 'carbon free' and put it on general register

The House Committee on Energy, Finance and Policy voted to place House File 249 on the general register after adopting an author's amendment that removed a 50% line from the bill and clarified the definition of eligible woody material.

The bill, introduced by Representative Igoe, would designate certain wood residuals — including tops, limbs and other logging byproducts and some discarded wood products — as eligible under a “carbon free” definition used for Minnesota energy policy. Representative Igoe said the change is intended to create markets for material that is currently landfilled or left to decay, reduce fire risk and support rural timber businesses.

Proponents from the timber and forest-products industry told the committee the bill would help utilities convert some facilities from coal to wood-residue fuels, create rural jobs and encourage better forest-health…