Burning biomass to generate electricity, love it or hate it, is a renewable energy strategy that is getting a fair amount of attention. Though not without its challenges, the process presents certain appeal considering it provides an option for converting existing fossil fuel-based energy plants into cleaner energy sources.. The U.K., which is committed to meeting 15 percent of all energy and 30 per cent electricity demand via renewable sources by 2020, seems to think using biomass to generate electricity is important enough that the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) funded a study that looked into the potential of planting short rotation poplar and willow trees around England to be used as energy crops.
The study, which was led by Professor Gail Taylor from the University of Southampton, took into account social, economic and environmental constraints and concluded that, with efficient land use, England could grow enough biomass to generate about 4% of the U.K.'s current electricity demands without impacting food production or comprising environmental sustainability.
