Forest biomass energy policy in the Maritime provinces

Summary of Biomass Harvesting Impacts on Biodiversity PART V: Conclusion and Recommendations Executive Summary The demand for forest biomass energy is To date, governments have been slow to increasing both in the Maritimes and globally, respond to the scientific evidence on the and is driven almost exclusively by government impacts of harvesting and burning biomass policies and incentives to enabl [...] The avoided fossil fuel CO2 emissions of a biomass energy system are equal to the fossil fuels substituted by biomass energy services minus the fossil fuels used in the biomass energy system.”12 In a 2007 report, the IPCC recognized that forest management does influence the mitigation benefit of forests, but stopped short of addressing the basic assumption that biomass fuels are carbon-neutral: “F [...] The Member States will assess the availability of wood and wood residues and the feasibility of using them for energy production at national and regional levels, in order to consider further actions in support of the use of wood for energy generation.”15 Similarly, the International Energy Agency (IEA) described forest biomass as “close to carbon neutral in most instances” in a 2007 report.16 The [...] Instead, the Board accepted NSPI’s argument that the biomass project was preferable to additional wind energy projects on the basis that it would diversify a renewable portfolio based almost exclusively on wind, adding reliability and stability to the province’s electricity generating system.38 10 Forest Biomass Energy Policy in the Maritime Provinces: Accounting for Science In the course of the h [...] The State also committed to 5-year assessments of the environmental impact of the State’s biomass energy industry, and to offer outreach education and training to the forestry and biomass industries to help them comply with the new regulations.