Association President/CEO Isom Speaks Out on Biomass Dilemma

At an event this past week, conducted by UC ANR, UC Merced, Valley Institute for Sustainability, Technology and Agriculture (VISTA), Farmhand Ventures and F3, Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom spoke on the needs to address the biomass dilemma facing the tree nut industry in California. As part of a special interactive panel: Solving California’s Biomass Problem, Isom spoke to the hurdles that alternative biomass solutions currently face, and the needs to get some of these projects across the finish line. Isom commented on the inability to move the trees or chips from the orchard removal because of the closure of the biomass plants as the initial concern but also discussed the roadblocks including lack of funding for projects, the withdrawals of renewable fuels solutions due to the State’s push to go all electric, and the unfortunate all-out opposition from the environmental justice community to any potential alternative.  Isom commented “the EJ community doesn’t want us to burn and is trying to close every biomass plant left.  In addition, they are at the forefront of every alternative solution from opposing composting, pyrolysis to create biochar or electricity, conversion of biomass to renewable fuels such as renewable diesel or renewable natural gas, and hydrogen. We need to get past that”. Isom ended his comments by saying these projects need help on the front end to get up and running and we need the state and federal governments to help fund some of these projects.  Also speaking on the panel were Merced County Grower Ashley Bandoni, Taylor Heisley-Cook, CEO of the Hurd Co., Jason Imoff, COO of Glanris, Dr. Rebecca Ryals, Professor at UC Merced, and Samir Sheikh, Air Pollution Control Officer with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.