[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 109 (Wednesday, August 5, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE BIOMASS ENERGY EQUITY ACT OF 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. WALLY HERGER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 5, 1998

  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, today I join with my colleague Mr. Matsui 
and our cosponsors--Mr. Ensign, Mr. McCrery, Mr. McDermott, Mrs. 
Thurman, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Dooley, Mr. 
Gibbons, and Mr. Blumenauer--to announce the introduction of ``The 
Biomass Energy Equity Act of 1998,'' legislation that will help sustain 
the economic and environmental benefits provided to the public by the 
biomass power industry in the United States.
  The biomass power industry is a unique source of renewable 
electricity. It generates electricity by combusting wood waste and 
other non-hazardous, organic materials under environmentally-controlled 
conditions as an alternative to disposal or open-incineration of these 
materials. In effect, the biomass power industry makes constructive use 
of waste materials that would otherwise become a public liability.
  Mr. Speaker, the organic materials used as fuel by this industry are 
gathered from the agricultural and forest-related sectors of our 
economy and from our urban waste streams. In addition to the jobs that 
are generated by this activity, a range of quantifiable benefits arise: 
the risk and severity of forest fires is diminished, air pollution from 
open burning of agricultural residues is avoided, and landfill space is 
preserved. In the absence of this $7 billion per year industry, the 
nation would face a series of negative consequences above and beyond 
the loss of the renewable electricity itself.
  Congress recognized the importance of the biomass power industry when 
it enacted a biomass energy production tax credit in 1992. 
Unfortunately, the production tax credit provided by this code 
section--due for expiration within a year--has never been accessible to 
the biomass power industry due to excessively narrow drafting. Our 
legislation corrects this defect in order to recognize and retain the 
public benefits, including the national security and system reliability 
benefits, of this important industry.
  Mr. Speaker, I truly believe that this is a ``good government'' issue 
whose clear merits and environmental benefits transcend partisan and 
regional politics, and I would urge all of my colleagues--on both sides 
of the aisle--to cosponsor this important and much-needed legislation.

                          ____________________