State of Massachusetts Biomass Sustainability

andCarbon Policy Study

Commissioned by

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

By Directive of Ian BowlesSecretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Goals

• Meet the research team

• Share information about the study and the questions it will address

• Hear your ideas about additional questions the research team should consider

AGENDA

Welcome & Introduction

Agenda

Setting the ContextWhyWhatWho

AGENDAResearch Project Overview

Public Input

Review & Next Steps

End of Meeting

Post Script

The Research Team

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

• John S. Gunn, Ph.D., Senior Program Leader

Forest Guild

• Bob Perschel, Director Northeast Region

• Zander Evans, PhD, Research Director

Pinchot Institute for Conservation

• Brian Kittler, Project Director

Biomass Energy Resource Center

• Chris Recchia, Executive Director

• Andrea Colnes, Policy and Development Director

Independent Consultants

• Thomas Walker, Natural Resource Economist

• Peter Cardellichio, PhD, Forest Economist

• David Saah, PhD, Principal, Spatial Informatics Group

• Anne Perschel, Psy.D., President, Germane Consulting

The Advisory Panel

Advisory Panel Members

• David Foster, Director, Harvard Forest

• Alaric Sample, President, Pinchot Institute

• Clark Binkley, Managing Director, International Forestry Investment Advisors

• Paul L. Lemar, Jr., President, Resource Dynamics Corporation

Research Project Overview

The Big Research Question

Can the state use forest biomass to meet its climate change mitigation goal in a way that is

CARBON FRIENDLY

&

PROTECTS THE FULL RANGE OF FOREST VALUES?

5 Questions, 5 Tasks, 5 Task Leaders

• Which technology scenarios are needed to help the state evaluate biomass utilization?Chris Recchia

• How much biomass can be sustainably supplied? Peter Cardellichio

5 Questions, 5 Tasks, 5 Task Leaders

• Can we ensure sustainable forestry while harvesting biomass for energy? Bob Perschel

• What contribution do managed and unmanaged forests make to the net carbon balance? John Gunn

• What are the contributions of biomass energy to carbon levels relative to other energy sources? Tom Walker

Which technology scenarios are needed to help the state evaluate biomass utilization? (1)

• Baseline: limited biomass energy, business as usual for forestry

• Range and scale of alternative scenarios:

– Biomass electric

– CHP• Electric led

• Heat led

– Thermal

– Cellulosic biofuels

Which technology scenarios are needed to help the state evaluate biomass utilization? (2)

• Scenarios provide base for further team analysis

– Timber supply

– Carbon cycle and carbon friendliness

– Forestry practices by public and private landowners

How Much Biomass Can Be Sustainably Supplied? (1)

• How Will Economic and Ecological Factors Affect the Availability of Biomass?– Past Studies Focus on Biophysical Availability (Inventory Driven)

– Analyze by “Ownership”: Private, Public, and Land Clearing

– Public Harvests Based on New Forest Management Plans

• How Much Wood Can Be Supplied from Private Lands?– Historical Harvesting Patterns

– Forest Landowner Willingness to Harvest

– Ecological Issues and Wood Procurement Standards

– Stumpage, Harvesting, Collection, and Delivery Costs

– How Much Can Biomass Facilities Afford to Pay?

How Much Biomass Can Be Sustainably Supplied? (2)

• How Much Biomass Will Be Available from Nearby States?

• What Alternative Biomass Supply Scenarios Should We Consider?– Wood Availability Subject to a Range of Estimates

– Different Macroeconomic Energy Scenarios

– Production Credits such as BCAP

– New Harvesting Standards?

– Payments to Landowners for Carbon Storage?

Can We Ensure Sustainable Forestry While Harvesting Biomass for Energy? (1)

Assumptions

– Forest health is primary

– Forestry, including biomass removals, MUST be sustainable.

– There are risks. State regulations/BMPs lower them.

– Forest management is important to climate change

Questions– What threats does biomass removal pose to forest health?

– What have others done to ensure forest sustainability?

– Are current state regulations, BMPs adequate?

– Are proposed regulations, BMPs adequate?

Can We Ensure Sustainable Forestry While Harvesting Biomass? (2)

TASKS– Assess other programs

• States

• Countries

• Voluntary accreditation

– Research ecological needs of Mass. Forest types

– Assess current state harvesting regulations, BMPs, proposed regulations

Recommendations– Suggest regulations and BMPs to foster sustainable production of

biomass

Managed and Unmanaged Forests Contribution to Net Carbon Balance

Core Question

What are the net carbon storage implications of forest management for common cover types at the stand level, and statewide on public and private forests?

Tasks• Model carbon dynamics of typical harvest scenarios (including harvests

specifically for biomass energy) for 5 common cover types.

• Model unmanaged trajectory of 5 common cover types.

• Evaluate carbon implications of changes in statewide age class distribution.

• Evaluate the off-site carbon storage and fossil fuel substitution implications of material removed during harvests.

Contributions of Biomass Energy to CO2 Levels (1)

Questions -- under each of the policy scenarios:

1. Carbon emitted from use of biomass fuels?

2. Amount and timing of carbon re-sequestered by forest?

3. Carbon emissions from baseline ‘no new biomass’ future scenario?

4. Biomass vs. Baseline – cumulative net carbon emissions over time?

Contributions of Biomass Energy to CO2 Levels (2)

Tasks:

1. Biomass Scenarios:

a. Define biomass harvest scenarios.

b. Estimate lifecycle carbon releases of biomass energy.

c. Run Forest Vegetation Simulator model to estimate re-sequestration and timing.

2. Baseline Scenarios: calculate lifecycle carbon emissions from baseline ‘no new biomass’ scenario.

3. Net Impact Scenarios: apply models to estimate cumulative net carbon released over time by biomass energy compared to ‘no new biomass’ baseline.

Small Group Conversations

• What additional questions or concerns would you like the research team to consider?

InstructionsCoffee Shop

Conversation that explores and builds on each others’ ideas

Jazz ensemble, quilting

Host - Scribe and spokesperson

Research team member

End by 8:00

Hosts represent table

Post Script

Next Steps

http://tr.im/mabio

Small Group Conversations

• What additional questions or concerns would you like the research team to consider?

InstructionsCoffee shop

Conversation that explores and builds on each others’ ideas

Jazz ensemble, quilting

Scribe and spokesperson

Research team member

End by 8:00

Present to large group