Is biomass worse than fossil fuels?

CleanTech Group
April 14, 2009 - Cleantech Group best of the web pick

Planting energy crops could produce more carbon dioxide emissions than burning the fossil fuels being replaced, according to the UK's Environment Agency.

Emissions produced by biomass energy are too variable to rubber-stamp the technology as a way to solve the UK's emissions problems, according to a new report released today by the UK's Environment Agency.

Highly efficient biomass plants could produce just 27 kilograms of CO2 per megawatt-hour—98 percent less than coal. But growing energy crops on current fields of grassland could produce more emissions by 2030 than burning fossil fuels instead, the report said.

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