DRAFT LETTER ON ENERGY BILL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

Addresses:

• Senate: The Honorable _________, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510

• House: The Honorable _________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515

19 September 2002

The Honorable __________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative (Senator) __________:

I encourage you to support the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) included in the Senate version of the Energy Bill (H.R. 4), with minor changes, while deliberations on the bill continue in the conference committee.

Not only does the RPS provisions encourage the use of renewable energy, but also encourages the removal of hazardous fuels from our nation’s forests. Such removal helps prevent forest fires, thereby preserving our natural resources. In addition, the measures would provide a market for forest owners, when other markets (such as pulpwood) are depressed.

There are two provisions of the Energy Bill, in addition, that I hope you will consider revising.

1. Only trees specifically grown for energy production are included in the Senate version’s definition of biomass. This limits the ability of forest owners to provide this renewable resource to energy companies, and hampers forest owners from managing their property in an efficient and effective manner.
2. The House version of the Energy Bill excludes old-growth timber from the tax open-loop biomass definition. This provision eliminates incentives for forest owners to cut old-growth trees, even when these trees have become a fuel hazard in the forest.

I hope, Representative (Senator)________, that you will support the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for inclusion in the final version of the Energy Bill, and will support the minor revisions listed above. This bill is important both in the production of renewable fuel resources, and the protection of our nation’s forests against wildfire.

Respectfully yours,