UTILITY FOREST CARBON MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UTILITREE-CARBON-COMPANY

The U.S. electric utility industry has a long history of involvement w ith traditional forest management and tree-planting programs. Utilitie s have recently initiated numerous forestry projects specifically to c onserve energy and to offset CO2 emissions. Many electric utilities ha ve included forestry activities in their agreements with DOE under a v oluntary national program called the Climate Challenge. The Utility Fo rest Carbon Management Program (UFCMP) is a voluntary initiative devel oped by the Edison Electric Institute, with support from 55 electric u tilities, to expand utility industry efforts to manage CO2 via forestr y projects, both domestic and international. With slightly over $2.4 m illion committed, 40 of these companies have established a non-profit corporation called the UtiliTree Carbon Company to sponsor five projec ts. The projects in the final pool represent a diverse mix of rural tr ee planting forest preservation, forest management and research effort s at both domestic (eastern and western U.S.) and international sites. This paper overviews these programs, which were designed to advance t he state of knowledge regarding options for managing greenhouse gases via forestry; establish low-cost forestry options to manage greenhouse gases; and promote environmental stewardship by the utility industry. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.