Renewable Ruse: Bioenergy Development in North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Policy
North Carolina has long positioned itself as a leader in clean energy, enacting the state’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) in 2007 to drive growth in renewable power generation. Yet, the state’s embrace of bioenergy—energy derived from organic matter like wood pellets or agricultural waste—threatens to undermine its transition to a sustainable energy future.
Rather than a true renewable, bioenergy represents a ruse that deepens environmental injustices and entrenches extractive industry interests in the state. Rural communities in eastern North Carolina are responding to the emergence of bioenergy development not as a climate solution, but as an extension of long-standing ecological harm. By examining the realities of bioenergy in the state, a more complicated picture emerges—one where renewable energy policy has been co-opted to benefit corporate interests at the expense of frontline communities.
Bioenergy in North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Mix
North Carolina’s Clean Energy Plan, released in 2019, set ambitious targets for the state to achieve 70% reduction in power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Bioenergy features prominently in the plan, which calls for expanded use of agricultural and forestry waste to generate renewable electricity and transportation fuels. The state has also directed utilities to source a growing share of their power from biomass, incentivizing the construction of new wood pellet manufacturing plants.
Yet, research has shown that burning wood pellets for energy can actually produce more greenhouse gas emissions than burning coal. The process of harvesting, processing, and transporting wood pellets often negates any climate benefits, making bioenergy a dubious solution for reducing emissions. Biomass facilities also contribute to local air pollution, with particulate matter and other harmful pollutants posing risks to nearby communities.
Concerns with Bioenergy as a Renewable Resource
Beyond the environmental impacts, bioenergy development in North Carolina has become entangled with long-standing issues of environmental justice. Many of the state’s industrial-scale concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and wood pellet plants are situated in low-income communities and communities of color, exposing residents to elevated health risks.
Residents of eastern North Carolina have mobilized against the proliferation of CAFOs and their associated biogas projects, which aim to capture methane from hog waste lagoons to produce renewable natural gas. These communities view bioenergy not as a clean alternative, but as a continuation of the extractive logic that has degraded their environment for decades. As one local activist Elsie Herring stated, “We’re just tired of being sacrificed.”
Implications for North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Goals
North Carolina’s focus on bioenergy threatens to undermine its broader renewable energy ambitions. While the state has seen significant growth in solar and wind power, the push for bioenergy risks diverting resources and attention away from these more sustainable technologies.
Moreover, the entanglement of bioenergy with environmental injustice raises concerns about the equitable distribution of the benefits and burdens of the state’s energy transition. If North Carolina’s renewable energy policy continues to privilege bioenergy, it risks perpetuating a system that prioritizes corporate profits over community well-being—a far cry from the just and sustainable future the state’s clean energy goals ostensibly aim to achieve.
Environmental Impacts of Bioenergy Development
Deforestation and Habitat Loss
The expansion of the wood pellet industry in North Carolina has led to increased harvesting of forestry residues and whole trees, raising concerns about the sustainability of this practice. Studies have shown that the demand for biomass feedstock can drive deforestation, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas like the state’s coastal plain, which is home to the North American Coastal Plain, a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Air Quality
While biomass is often touted as a carbon-neutral energy source, the reality is more complex. The combustion of wood pellets for electricity generation can release more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy than burning coal, especially when accounting for the emissions associated with harvesting, processing, and transporting the biomass. Additionally, biomass facilities can contribute to local air pollution, emitting particulate matter and other harmful pollutants that impact the health of nearby communities.
Water Resource Challenges
Bioenergy development in North Carolina is also linked to pressures on the state’s water resources. The expansion of CAFOs and their associated biogas projects has led to concerns about the impacts on water quality, as the storage and treatment of animal waste can contaminate nearby waterways. Furthermore, the water-intensive nature of some bioenergy production processes, such as the cultivation of energy crops, can exacerbate water scarcity in regions already facing water stress.
Economic Considerations of Bioenergy
Subsidies and Incentives for Bioenergy
North Carolina’s renewable energy policy has included various incentives and subsidies to promote the development of bioenergy. The state’s REPS, for example, allows utilities to count a portion of their electricity generation from biomass toward their renewable energy targets. These policy mechanisms have helped to drive investment in the wood pellet industry and the expansion of biogas projects.
Job Creation and Economic Growth
Proponents of bioenergy often tout its potential to create new jobs and spur economic development, particularly in rural areas. However, the economic benefits of bioenergy development are often unequally distributed, with the bulk of the profits accruing to large corporations rather than local communities. Moreover, the environmental and public health impacts of bioenergy can undermine the long-term economic sustainability of the affected regions.
Cost-Effectiveness Compared to Other Renewables
When considering the full life-cycle costs and environmental impacts, bioenergy may not be as cost-effective as other renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. These technologies have experienced significant cost reductions and performance improvements in recent years, potentially making them more attractive investments for North Carolina’s energy future.
Social and Community Impacts
Environmental Justice Concerns
The siting of bioenergy facilities, like wood pellet plants and CAFOs, in marginalized communities has raised serious environmental justice concerns. These communities, often home to low-income residents and communities of color, bear a disproportionate burden of the negative impacts, including air and water pollution, habitat degradation, and public health risks. Bioenergy development in North Carolina has become a flashpoint for environmental justice activism, as residents demand a more equitable and sustainable energy transition.
Public Perceptions and Acceptance
Public perception of bioenergy in North Carolina is often mixed, with some residents viewing it as a renewable alternative to fossil fuels, while others express skepticism or outright opposition. The lack of transparency and meaningful community engagement in the planning and development of bioenergy projects has contributed to a climate of distrust, undermining the long-term viability of these initiatives.
Stakeholder Engagement Processes
Effective stakeholder engagement is crucial for the successful implementation of bioenergy projects in North Carolina. However, the state’s approach has often fallen short, failing to meaningfully involve local communities, environmental justice advocates, and other key stakeholders in the decision-making process. Developing more inclusive and participatory processes could help to address the concerns raised by affected communities and build broader support for the state’s renewable energy transition.
In conclusion, North Carolina’s embrace of bioenergy as a renewable energy solution is symptomatic of a broader challenge facing the clean energy transition: the risk of co-option by corporate interests and the perpetuation of environmental injustices. As the state strives to achieve its ambitious clean energy goals, it must grapple with the complex realities of bioenergy development and ensure that the benefits and burdens of the transition are equitably distributed. Only then can North Carolina’s renewable energy policy truly serve the needs of all its citizens and contribute to a more sustainable and just future.