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As of now, legislation in the U.S. House on energy and greenhouse gas emissions does not include using wood from mature federal forests as renewable biomass for clean power.
And that's not sitting well with Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who both have introduced legislation to allow the production of cellulosic ethanol out of woody biomass, such as downed trees, trimmings and brush from federal lands.
The bills are aimed at changing language in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which set up the nation's Renewable Fuels Standard and prevents cellulosic ethanol from being made out of almost all federal forest waste, including slash piles in the 6,000-square-mile Black Hills National Forest.
Last week, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee endorsed a bill that seeks to create a "cap-and-trade" system where polluters would have to buy credits equal to their emissions and thus ease global ...