Gomez Seeks to Close “Biomass Loophole” on Beacon Hill
State Senator Adam Gómez (D-Springfield) took to the State House last week to testify in support of a pair of bills that he has filed this session aimed at closing the “biomass loophole” in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for municipal lighting plants (MLPs), which could prevent a controversial wood-burning fire plant, long opposed by the Hampden district, from coming to fruition.
Gomez had this to say on his testimony, “For over 15 years we have fought this same fight, with the people of Springfield continuously saying no to a biomass incinerator in our community. This facility is not new, it’s not needed, and it’s not safe. These bills are not just about words on a page. They are about shutting off the flow of public dollars and clean energy subsidies to a facility that has no business being called “green.” They’re about protecting communities like Springfield from being sacrificed for someone else’s profit. And they’re about making sure the science—not the lobbying—guides our climate policy.”
The two bills in question, S.2288 , An Act to remove woody biomass from the greenhouse gas emissions standard for municipal lighting plants and S.2287, An Act limiting the eligibility of woody biomass as an alternative energy supply, would remove woody biomass from the list of “non-carbon emitting sources” that municipal lighting plants (MLPs) can use to meet the MLP greenhouse gas emission standard (GGES) that was created as part of the 2021 Climate Roadmap Law.
Biomass is, of course, not a “non-carbon emitting source”; burning wood releases more carbon into the air than the dirtiest fossil fuels. Moreover, lifecycle analyses show that even when wood “residues” are burned (as opposed to trees logged for fuel), biomass energy is a net source of carbon emissions in the atmosphere for decades – well past the timeframe for meaningful climate action. Nonetheless, despite these undisputed facts, biomass is set to be included in the list of eligible “non-carbon emitting sources” effective January 1, 2026.
Biomass was included in the MLP GGES largely for the benefit of Palmer Renewable Energy (PRE), which was seeking to build a controversial 42-MW wood-burning power plant in Springfield, MA. PRE had built its financing strategy around securing long-term power purchase agreements with MLPs, and despite strong community opposition, PRE is still actively pursuing this project. The company has recently prevailed in court challenging the revocation of both its local and state permits. If this legislation does not pass, starting January 1, 2026, wood-burning biomass could be counted as a clean energy source by MLPs—despite the fact that it emits more CO2 than coal and gas, and contributes significantly to air pollution.
The project has been voted down by the City Council, who on May 27th voted unanimously to continue its fight against the Palmer Renewable Energy LLC project. With a vote of 7-0, council members agreed to appeal a court's decision that granted the proposed power plant building permits within the municipality.