(5e) Atlantica Regions’s BioEnergy Perspective

The Atlantica BioEnergy Task Force addressed a unifying challenge ? how to ensure the future sustainability and prosperity of the forest products industry across three jurisdictions, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the State of Maine, which comprise the Atlantica Region (the ?Region?). The Task Force is comprised of regional government, industry, utilities, federal and regional organizations and post secondary institutions. A comprehensive best practices study (the ?Study?) was identified as a foundational next step for the Task Force. As a result, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was commissioned to complete the Study as a cornerstone to the Task Force's efforts that are focused on understanding the challenges and opportunities facing the Region. The Task Force identified opportunities that will promote the use of renewable energy technologies using the Region's forest products industry infrastructure. There are several opportunities to revitalize the forest industry and its competitiveness by making use of the available wood feedstock?a renewable asset?for the production of bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals and thus enhance sustainable economic development within the Region.

Governments in the three jurisdictions in the Region are currently faced with the growing need to control the source, cost, and environmental effects of energy. To decrease the reliance on carbon sources, reduce costs and to increase energy independence, many jurisdictions are developing and implementing comprehensive public policy frameworks to manage and incentivize changes in the energy supply. The public policy frameworks that are being developed are aiming to achieve several objectives including maximizing the economic development benefits from the forest, encouraging the development of reliable and diversified supplies of renewable energy and contributing to climate change initiatives such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Four technological opportunities were evaluated considering sustainable use of resources, current regional operations, maturity of new technologies, the current regulatory environment and the economic impact.