Subsidies for biomass energy crumple particleboard supplies

At Flakeboard's Albany and Eugene plants, 188 workers make particleboard from the same sawdust and scrap that could one day be a major part of the nation's energy supply. Over the coming years, billions of dollars in federal subsidies aim to turn the leftovers of forests, including those in Oregon, into rich sources of renewable power. But they could also put companies such as Flakeboard, the nation's largest particleboard manufacturer based in South Carolina, out of business if their suppliers opt to sell into more lucrative energy markets. "There's already a lot of competition," said David Leding, a Flakeboard plant manager in Albany. "And now all of a sudden, we have to compete with our federal government." The Biomass Crop Assistance Program offers a subsidy of $1 for each $1 per dry ton of eligible materials sold and delivered to biomass conversion facilities, with a maximum of $45 per ton...read more

Members of Congress are much smarter than those folks in the lumber business, and thank goodness they are taking over health care, as they are also much smarter than those ignorant physicians. We can all look forward to a bright future in Obamaland. Just don't get sick or try to build anything.