News coverage of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) continues to highlight the rising cost of the new Farm Bill. According to the Progressive Farmer, the BCAP, originally projected to cost $70 million over five years, will cost US taxpayers $514 million by the end of March. But, as written in the 2008 Farm Bill, a provision dealing with the 'collection, harvest storage and transportation' of biomass has no statutory funding cap.

Since USDA put out a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for BCAP in June (though the final rules for the program had not been written), more than 285 facilities that burn or convert wood waste have been certified to receive the subsidized materials, according to the USDA's website. Industry reports state BCAP will "over-inflate the market" with timber companies expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of the program and sawmills getting some benefit from the sale of residuals.

See The Progressive Farmer