2010
A tax credit created by the U.S. Congress in 2005 as part of the 2005 Highway Bill to reward and support the use of liquid alternative fuel derived from hydrocarbons in the transportation sector was expanded in 2007 to include non-mobile uses of liquid alternative fuel derived from biomass. This change meant that, in addition to fish processors, animal renderers and meat packers, kraft pulp producers became eligible for the tax credit as a result of their generation and use of black liquor to make energy. For one large company (International Paper) this could amount to as much as $3.7 billion in benefits. Weyerhaeuser announced in May 2009 that it was also pursuing the tax credit. While some have criticized the paper industry's eligibility for the alternative fuel mix tax credit on the grounds that it is increasing fossil fuel use, the industry has countered that adding a fossil fuel is actually a requirement of the law and that, regardless, this does not result in a net increase in fossil fuel use since companies are merely replacing the existing fossil fuel they already mix with black liquor—natural gas—with one of the three fuels specified by the law: gasoline, kerosene or diesel. The bio-fuel credit for Black Liquor ended on Jan 1, 2010.
Read more about this topic: Black Liquor, U.S. Tax Credit 2007