[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 22, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KING (for himself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 1007. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include 
biomass heating appliances for tax credits available for energy-
efficient building property and energy property; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. KING. Mr. President, I rise today in support of energy 
innovation, energy independence, national security, and local 
economies.
  The legislation I am introducing, the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act 
of 2013--known as the BTU Act--would give tax parity to biomass heating 
systems under sections 25d and 48 of the Internal Revenue Code and 
would help to encourage a very promising industry.
  By adding biomass heating systems to the eligible renewable 
technologies for residential and commercial tax credits, we can help 
make clean, home-grown heating more cost effective for hard-working 
Americans.
  By way of example, Maine has the highest home heating oil dependence 
of any State in the country--and nearly 80 cents of every $1 spent on 
heating oil goes out of State. Much of this money also leaves the 
country and goes to nations that are less than friendly with the U.S. 
Yet we have plenty of renewable heating sources here at home.
  In Maine, wood pellet boilers are the most widely used biomass 
heating systems. Wood pellet boilers run on trees grown in the State, 
cut by local loggers, processed into pellets in local mills, then 
purchased and used to heat local homes. Nearly every single heating 
dollar stays within the local economy. This supports good-paying jobs, 
working, productive forests, and it helps move the country toward 
energy independence.
  We are not talking about traditional woodstoves here. These are 
highly innovative, clean-burning systems that are simple to run. They 
can even be integrated with your smart phone so you can turn the heat 
up on your way home from work.
  In addition, thermal biomass systems--particularly wood pellet 
boilers--have very small carbon footprints. New trees are planted to 
replace the trees processed into pellets. These new trees capture the 
carbon released by the pellets. Compared to fossil fuels, such as home 
heating oil, this yields an extremely small carbon footprint.
  I am excited to offer this legislation and to be joined by Senator 
Collins.
  This bill could greatly benefit any State with a strong forestry 
industry but also States with industries that turn agricultural waste 
and nonfood stock plants into thermal biomass fuels. I look forward to 
working with colleagues from around the country to level the playing 
field for the biomass industry.
  Let us work together to keep our energy dollars here at home and 
create jobs in our backyard.
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