Supporters of a reliable, affordable, and diverse energy mix often discuss an “all-of-the-above” approach to American energy production.

In Mississippi, we benefit from a wide variety of energy production that creates thousands of jobs across the state. Crude oil, nuclear, natural gas, and coal represent the bulk of that production, but Mississippi has become a player in renewable resources such as wood energy, which offers an opportunity to strengthen our forestry industry, create new jobs, and generate power.

Wood energy comes from private, managed forests, where trees are grown with the intent of harvesting for wood products such as sawtimber, furniture, and pulp and paper. Trees unfit for product use, as well as large branches and treetops, are mixed with sawmilling residues like sawdust to be compressed and formed into wood pellets, which are used to generate electricity.

Our forestry industry is benefitting from a European effort to diversify energy options, and our state is well suited to expand on this opportunity through increased exporting of this plentiful Mississippi resource.

According to a 2013 analysis, Mississippi’s forestry and forest products industries create $10.9 billion of total product output. That massive figure is generated by a Mississippi forestry workforce of nearly 60,000 men and women earning over $2.7 billion of total income. There is no question that forestry is a critical component of Mississippi’s economy. By leveraging our existing supply chain and forestry workforce, wood energy can provide a sector-wide boost to economic activity, as well as job growth in the state. And because wood energy products are sourced from managed forests, the industry can play a role in encouraging sustainability because it incentivizes replanting and the clearing of forest debris.

Forest inventory in the southeastern United States has steadily increased in the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century thanks to effective forestry management. Forestry supports over 2 million jobs throughout the United States and generates over $100 billion toward the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The stable progress of the wood energy industry can grow opportunities for Mississippi, encourage sustainable forestry practices, and expand a valuable component to a diversified energy mix.

Strengthening our position as an energy producer is critical to the country’s long-term economic growth. In the past decade, the United States has shifted from a net-importer of energy resources to a net-exporter, thanks largely to the development of new technologies that have unlocked previously unreachable oil and gas reserves. Now, Mississippi is filling a critical need in the renewable energy market while creating jobs and strengthening our forest industry.

Gregg Harper serves as the U.S. Representative for Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District. He sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Biomass Caucus.