Legislation authored by Assemblymember Addie J. Russell that
would bring job opportunities to the North Country by boosting the biofuel
industry (A.6166) passed the Assembly this week and was delivered to the Senate
for a vote there.
The legislation would provide a financial incentive for
companies producing biofuels like wood pellets.
“The North Country is already home to companies producing
this kind of fuel,” Russell said. “My legislation is designed to put a wind in
their sails that will create job opportunities and economic growth for the
whole region.”
Densified biofuel is made from woody or agricultural
feedstock which are abundant in the North Country, and with the surge in
popularity in pellet stoves and boiler systems as ways to heat homes, the bill
is aimed at continuing to make this choice a wise investment.
Pat Curran of Curran Renewable Energy in Massena said, “This
bill is a strong step forward in enhancing the business climate of the St.
Lawrence Valley and counties throughout New York State. It will give land
owners an opportunity to see value in their low-grade timber crops that they
have been growing. The tax bill that Addie Russell supports will help job
growth in numerous ways beyond the agricultural and forest sectors. It will
help create stability and a bright future in an evolving market.”
In addition to expanding job prospects in the North Country,
access to locally-sourced, renewable fuel will bring other benefits to the
region.
Eric Carlson President and CEO of the Empire State Forests
Products Association said, "This legislation will help homeowners,
schools, and businesses that want to convert from imported fossil fuels to
locally sourced wood heating. New York has abundant forests that need these
markets to improve forest health using sustainable forest practices"
The legislation adds a tax credit of $0.25 per gallon of
biofuel produced on top of the current $0.15 credit and creates a new credit of
$15 per ton of densified biofuel – and, crucially, adds wood pellets to the
definition of biofuel.
“People in the North Country need reliable, efficient, and
affordable energy and this legislation would incentivize fuel producers to use
natural resources that are abundant in our region,” Russell said. “By
encouraging businesses to produce locally, we can reinvigorate an industry right
here at home and provide a sustainable future for the next generation.”