The European Union is considering changes to its climate policies that could have a big effect on Georgia trees and Georgia business.
The EU has been using wood pellets made from trees in the Southeast to burn for electricity and claiming this practice is carbon neutral. Now, it may change that stance.
David Boraks, the climate reporter at WFAE in Charlotte, has been reporting on the wood pellet industry. He spoke with WABE about what this possible policy shift might mean.
“The U.S. is the main supplier of wood pellets to Europe, and the industry is growing fast — mainly here in the Southeast,” Boraks says. “U.S. wood pellet exports are up more than 60% since 2016, with sales just over $1 billion a year.”
It’s a big business in Georgia, which is home to the largest wood pellet factory in the world, located in Waycross. According to the state Forestry Commission, in 2019 Georgia exported close to…
