The Maryland Clean Energy Center has recently published the Maryland Wood Fuel Supply Chain Analysis, which examined the availability of fuelwood stock in Maryland and bordering counties of adjacent states.
Intended to address concerns about the feasibility and sustainability of advanced biomass heating and combined-heat-and-power systems for Maryland, the study had 4 key findings:
- The available supply of fuelwood far exceeds its demand;
- Wood fuel is available for heat generation, electrical power, and for use in combined heat and power plants;
- Better utilization of Maryland’s wood fuel resources will result in more productive forests with the capacity to sequester additional carbon from the atmosphere; and
- Citizen and landowner education and engagement is called for to underscore the value and role of forest management and fuelwood harvest for the environment, economy and communities in the state
These results are very good news for the state. While concerns remain about high-grading and other unsustainable forest management practices, Maryland’s forestry industry has a win-win opportunity to convert the forest waste generated by better forest management into a clean, renewable, low-carbon form of thermal energy that is well-positioned to replace fossil fuels in many of the state’s most vulnerable rural communities. Likewise, growth in the biomass sector would benefit local communities economically, by creating new, sustainable jobs in forestry to replace the shrinking coal industry.