Is Bioenergy the Key to Future Energy Sustainability?

According to a decent number of industry experts, so-called bioenergy is something that will likely play an integral role in the future of our overall energy system.  That said, there are an equal number of naysayers that claim it’s bad for the environment.  Like with most things in life, the answer likely lies somewhere in the middle of these two opposing perspectives.

A Primer on Bioenergy

Bioenergy is created when organic plant matter (AKA biomass) is burned, releasing the sun-based energy that is absorbed and stored in the material through natural processes.  This plant matter encompasses a wide variety of materials, from corn cobs to wood chips to animal excrement.  This type of energy source has been used for tens of thousands of years, dating back to the time when cavemen burned logs for heat.

Although the burning of material to create bioenergy releases carbon dioxide into the environment, there are reasons to believe these emissions are not comparable to fossil fuel emissions.  In fact, the EU recently concluded that carbon dioxide emissions from biomass are actually climate neutral in the energy sector.  Therefore, bioenergy will not compromise efforts to curb the effects of climate change.

Other critics lament the fact that using biomass for energy would lead to an increase in deforestation.  This too, according to multiple papers in the scientific community, including this one from 2017, is not accurate.

The bottom line is that bioenergy appears to be a viable part of the future energy mix.  Not a substantial part mind you, but one of many renewable energy sources that could work in unison, like an orchestra, to produce a net-positive result.  That said, only time will tell the degree to which bioenergy, along with all other “environmentally friendly” energy sources, will become a ubiquitous piece in the overall energy mix in a climate-altered world.