To best understand how woody biomass, such as wood pellets, can become a sustainable energy solution, you need to consider your perspective.
As small trees and other woody debris are harvested, other trees are growing across the landscape. So, argues Warnell associate professor Puneet Dwivedi, it’s not that a tree that was cut to produce pellets would take another 10 years to grow back, but more accurately that across the landscape, other small trees are growing to replace what was cut.
This landscape-level view helps create a more accurate picture of woody biomass, which is often harvested and produced into wood pellets in the U.S. South and then exported to Europe and Asia. Since 2012, wood pellet exports have increased 498%, according to the USDA, with most going to the United Kingdom to meet the country’s climate goals.
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