Renewable biomass energy is a great source of domestic small scale distributed power generation. It significantly reduces greenhouse gases emissions and carbon footprint of power generation.

Thermal energy accounts for roughly one-third of the energy used today in the United States.  Renewable biomass resources can help meet this demand for thermal energy by providing heat for industrial processes as well as heating for businesses and homes. Today's thermal uses of biomass include providing heat for processing foods like milk and yogurt, heating universities and commercial facilities, heating neighborhoods through a district heating grid, and supplying over 1 million homes with heat from pellet appliances that would have otherwise been generated by non-renewable fuels like heating oil or natural gas.

"Thermal energy from biomass has enormous growth potential," said Jeffrey Serfass, Executive Director of BTEC.  "We see tremendous opportunity in regions that depend heavily on fossil fuels for heating and combined heat and power.  Biomass thermal energy can replace those non-renewable fuels while reducing the demand for imported fuels and reducing greenhouse gases.  As such, the use of biomass for heating should be an important component of the Obama Administration's new energy policy."