SUPPORTING THE BENEFITS OF WASTE-TO-ENERGY AND LANDFILL GAS AS CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ELIGIBLE FOR TAX CREDITS

WHEREAS, many municipalities and local communities have adopted an integrated waste management approach that includes biomass and gasification facilities such as waste-to-energy and landfill gas recovery projects that generate clean, renewable energy; and

WHEREAS, local communities provide for a wide range of waste management and related environmental programs, including residential and commercial collections; source-separated recycling; environmental education; litter and illegal dumping clean-up; site remediation and household hazardous waste collections; and

WHEREAS, renewable energy sources provide a number of benefits, including reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, while increasing fuel diversity; reducing greenhouse gas emissions to provide for a clean environment; as well as the utilization of non-fossil natural resources; and

WHEREAS, some communities share in the energy revenues generated from the sale of electricity from these biomass and gasification facilities that help defray the cost of many of the waste management and environmental programs required by local governments; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has long held that waste-to energy and landfill gas recovery projects are included in the renewable definition of biomass;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports all federal legislation that promotes the benefits of renewable energy such as waste-to-energy gasification and landfill gas recovery projects; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports federal legislation that also provides for production and investment credits for local entities and production tax credits for all forms of biomass and gasification technologies including waste-to-energy and landfill gas recovery projects; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors urges federal lawmakers to ensure that any legislation that promotes renewable energy or provides for production tax credits and refundable production credits include provisions to expand the biomass definition to include all forms of biomass and gasification energy.