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Does bioenergy have a green energy future in the US?

Bio-derived sources of energy – wood, grass, dung and alcohol – have a rich history, yet have failed to command the “buzz” of solar, wind or even geothermal in public discussions regarding renewable energy.

Even worse, for some, “bio” conjures images of clear-cutting forests, dead zones in our waterways, “food-versus-fuel” or additional carbon emissions – the opposite of sustainable development.

In reality, bio-based energy has the largest market presence, involves the most stakeholders and currently has the greatest economic impact of any renewable energy industry sector.

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Featured

 Europe’s renewable energy policy is built on burning American trees

Biomass energy is inadvertently making the climate crisis worse.

 The ‘Green Energy’ That Might Be Ruining the Planet

If a tree falls in a forest—and then it’s driven to a mill, where it’s chopped and chipped and compressed into wood pellets, which are then driven to a port and shipped across the ocean to be burned for electricity in European power plants—does it warm the planet? Most scientists and environmentalists say yes: By definition, clear-cutting trees and combusting their carbon emits greenhouse gases that heat up the earth.

Articles of Interest

How a false solution to climate change is damaging the natural world

In growing maize for biogas, the crop that does most damage to the soil is being specifically exempted from the rules.

A Closer Look at Bioenergy, Biofuels, and Biomass

The single biggest advantage of bioenergy is the fact that it is a renewable energy source, unlike fossil fuels that have a limited supply and will eventually run out.

Bioenergy (Biofuels and Biomass)

The energy stored in biomass can be released to produce renewable electricity or heat. Biopower can be generated through combustion or gasification of dry biomass or biogas (methane) captured through controlled anaerobic digestion.

Bioenergy: making money, and clean energy

Bioenergy technologies such as biogas can be incorporated into existing operations to provide elegant solutions.

How modern bio-energy helps reduce global warming

Its contribution to the reaching of climate targets is critical.

With Ethanol And Biomass No Longer Viewed As 'Green,' Will Other Renewables Soon Follow?

Beyond the quantity of energy they provide, biomass and biofuels always had a major advantage over solar and wind: their reliability. A biomass power plant can generate electricity day or night, wind or no wind. Biofuels can power your car no matter the weather.

Resources

Bioenergy Europe

Bioenergy Europe is the voice of European bioenergy. It aims to develop a sustainable bioenergy market based on fair business conditions.

Bioenergy Insight

Since its launch in 2010, Bioenergy Insight has swiftly built up a reputation for delivering quality news, analysis, market information and technical articles relating to the biomass, biogas and biopower industries.

Biomass & Bioenergy

Biomass & Bioenergy is an international journal publishing original research papers and short communications, review articles and case studies on biological resources, chemical and biological processes, and biomass products for new renewable sources of energy and materials.

World Bioenergy Association

The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) is the global organization dedicated to supporting and representing the wide range of actors in the bioenergy sector.

FERN

Bioenergy in Europe has been disastrous for the climate, forests and people’s health. The EU’s Renewable Energy Directive ignores these fundamental principles: that forests are a natural carbon sink, that wood is a limited resource, and that wood is a source of carbon dioxide when burnt. Many scientists who conducted research on bioenergy have warned that increasing the combustion of wood is not compatible with the emergency posed by our climate breakdown: we only have a decade left to drastically limit our CO2 emissions.