ABSTRACT

This chapter assesses the connection between bioenergy and national planning in three broad categories: economic, environmental, and social. Bioenergy is an area in which there is overlapping government responsiblity: it deals with issues relating to such diverse fields as agriculture, environment, trade, finance, and land tenure. At the national level the economic tradeoffs associated with bioenergy development can be assessed in terms of three main issues: foreign exchange constraints, competition for factor supplies, and the impact of pricing policies. The most severe environmental issues concern the impact of bioenergy development on soil and air quality. The importance of bioenergy plantations and other cultivation and conversion facilities in planning for the protection of watersheds for agriculture and hydropower is evident. There are three aspects of the social problem that can be considered in energy planning: equity, land tenure systems, and labor availability and population trends.