BACKGROUNDER
2008OTP0017-000129 Jan. 31, 2008	Office of the Premier Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Ministry of Forests and Range
NEW BIOENERGY STRATEGY: A NATURAL ENERGY ADVANTAGE

British Columbia has an abundance of natural biomass resources, including sawmill residues, mountain pine beetle-killed timber, logging debris, and agricultural and municipal wastes.

 

To enhance B.C.’s leadership role and help meet the province’s electricity needs for clean, renewable power, the Bioenergy Strategy will take steps to:

·         Collaborate with the Western Climate Initiative and the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region.

·         Create First Nations bioenergy opportunities.

·         Require methane capture from our largest landfills.

·         Utilize waste wood from phased-out beehive burners to lower greenhouse gas emissions via cleaner energy production.

·         Support wood gasification research, development and commercialization.

·         Provide energy providers with information to develop new opportunities.

 

Opportunities will be available to smaller energy producers with projects that are immediately viable through a two-part Bioenergy Call for Power focusing on existing biomass inventory in the forest industry.

 

When used to generate energy, biomass is considered carbon-neutral because it releases no more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs during its lifetime. As a result, bioenergy is seen as a way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere if it replaces non-renewable sources of energy. The Province will also work with industry to develop new fine particulate standards for industrial boilers to improve air quality.

 

In April 2006, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Forests and Range and BC Hydro reviewed bioenergy issues and opportunities in British Columbia. A project team consulted with government, the forest sector, independent power producers, community groups, and the academic research community to produce reports which contributed to the Bioenergy Strategy.

 

For more information on the new Bioenergy Strategy, go to www.energyplan.gov.bc.ca/bioenergy.

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Media contact:	Dale Steeves Communications Director Office of the Premier 250 387-6605	Jake Jacobs Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 250 213-6934 (cell)
	Sophia Proctor Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-4592
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.