Mark Udall, a champion for Colorado's diverse energy portfolio, congratulated Colorado State University on receiving a $250,000 competitive grant to promote the development of biomass energy to reduce fuel loads on public lands, strengthen forest health and reduce wildfire risks. The competitive grant, issued through the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service's Wood Education and Resource Center, will fund CSU's efforts to provide technical and financial assistance to spur development of woody biomass energy projects across Colorado.
"Colorado's biomass development is showing the nation how we can reduce wildfire risks, strengthen forest health, and turn the problem of beetle-killed trees and hazardous fuels into jobs and energy. This competitive grant will ensure that Colorado stays in the driver's seat in developing woody biomass projects across the Centennial State," Udall said. "I will continue to fight to ensure that the federal government supports a diverse energy strategy that includes biomass energy."
Udall, who serves on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has been the leading voice in the U.S. Senate for finding innovative, job-creating ways to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risks. Udall has championed public-private partnerships the U.S. Forest Service has used to improve forest health, including biomass projects, like the one Xcel Energy is pursuing in Colorado. Udall also has heralded the efforts of private companies, like Montrose Forest Products, that are creating jobs by turning beetle-killed trees and other forest products into commercial lumber. During his recent statewide energy tour, Udall visited an innovative biomass plant in Gypsum that is creating jobs and renewable energy while reducing wildfire risk.