Excerpt
PROSPECTS In 2008, prospects for bioenergy and a bio-based economy were generating excitement in Wisconsin and around the country. The report from a state committee developing strategies to mitigate climate change (Governor's Task Force 2008) called for a state Energy Crop Reserve Program to accelerate Wisconsin production of biomass from perennial grasses and energy crops. Other proposed policies were intended to develop the necessary infrastructure and supply chains. Two major utilities were seeking permits to burn biomass, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison was designing a retrofit for a campus steam and power facility to use biomass.
Many factors have dampened progress toward these ambitious goals in the intervening years. The general downturn in the economy means investors are more risk-averse. The hoped for push and pull of regulation and incentives from the public sector have not occurred to any extent in Wisconsin. Natural gas and coal continue to remain abundant and cheap, and high corn prices continue to drive cropping choices.
However, high fuel prices are a fresh memory and an anticipated future. Impacts of climate change are increasingly evident (WICCI 2011), and the need for public response is more imperative. Even if viable commercial production of…
- © 2012 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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