What is driving energy policy?
Scotland, and the UK as a whole, have benefitted over recent centuries from cheap and abundant coal, oil and gas. Now, the drivers for policy are changing as our fossil fuel reserves dwindle and new threats arise. Foremost amongst these are climate change and energy security. Harnessing our renewable resources is essential to confront these new threats and biomass is a potentially significant and uniquely responsive source of energy.
New initiatives to promote renewable energy have focussed largely on electricity generation but heat uses one third of the primary energy produced in the UK. Biomass is an excellent source of heat energy and already provides around 64% of the renewable energy production in the EU – woodfuel alone provides around half. Scotland has a large available resource which can be used to meet our commitments to develop a low carbon economy.
Why use woodfuel?
Woodfuel is the essence of sustainability. Bioenergy projects avoid carbon emissions, enhance environment protection, and help the security of energy supply. These are national issues but for local communities the primary driving force are much more likely to be employment or job creation, contribution to regional economy and income improvement. Woodfuel creates more local jobs than any other renewable energy alternative.
Other benefits include support of traditional industries, rural diversification, rural depopulation mitigation, community empowerment, fuel poverty alleviation etc.