Industrial greenhouse gas emissions: Does CO2 from combustion of biomass residue for energy really matter?

Woody biomass fuel combustion for industrial heating and processing is incr easing in northwestern North Carolina. Sources are mainly biomass waste and residues, including sawdust and chips from the furniture and wood processi ng industries, greenwood chips from construction sites and right-of-way cle aring operations, and wood removed from landfill streams. This paper evalua tes 5 hypothetical scenarios for use and disposal of biomass waste to demon strate effects of industrial combustion of this biofuel on the greenhouse g as emissions bundle. Conclusions are that use of biomass residue as a fuel can be a positive strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.