New Federal Commission Targets Forest Biomass for Energy, Including Powering AI Data Centers

The BECCS Advancement Commission Act of 2025 establishes a temporary commission within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) tasked with figuring out how to rapidly expand the use of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) technology across the country. Essentially, BECCS involves burning plant matter (biomass) for energy and then capturing the resulting carbon emissions, theoretically making it carbon-negative. The bill mandates that this new commission, which must be fully appointed within 180 days of the law passing, must deliver a comprehensive report to Congress within one year of its first meeting, outlining policy recommendations to accelerate BECCS development.

Who Gets a Seat at the Policy Table?

This isn't just a government think tank; the commission is a mix of federal officials and industry players. While the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development chairs the group, membership also includes representatives from the commercial timber industry, the National Association of State Foresters, and, notably, four representatives from the actual BECCS industry. To bring some local perspective, the commission must also include one or two representatives from counties that receive federal funds under the Secure Rural Schools Act. This composition—heavy on industry and federal land managers—suggests the resulting recommendations will focus sharply on supply chain logistics and industrial expansion, which is great for business but might raise eyebrows for environmental groups.

The AI Connection and Federal Forests

Two specific mandates in the bill show exactly where the focus is heading. First, the commission must specifically look at how BECCS can help meet the energy needs of AI infrastructure and data centers. This is a direct nod to the massive, growing power demands of tech companies, signaling that this clean energy push is tied directly to high-demand industrial users. Second, the commission is tasked with recommending changes to laws and rules to make it easier to use biomass from federally managed lands (like National Forests) for BECCS. This includes "streamlining contracts" for buying that biomass, which could mean a faster track for harvesting timber and forest residue for energy production.

What This Means for Everyday People and the Land

For people in rural areas, especially those near federal forests, this commission could be a big deal. If the recommendations lead to increased harvesting of forest biomass, it could mean new jobs in logging and processing, boosting local economies. However, the bill specifies that this must align with "wildfire and wildlife goals," but without clear metrics, there’s a risk that the push to supply massive BECCS plants—especially those powering AI data centers—could prioritize resource extraction over conservation. For taxpayers, this is about whether a new federal commission successfully develops a viable, large-scale clean energy source or if it primarily serves to subsidize a specific industry’s access to public resources. The commission has broad power to demand information from any federal agency, ensuring it gets the data it needs, and once the final report is delivered, the whole operation shuts down 180 days later.