ABSTRACT
The institutional issues related to bioenergy include the following: legislation and regulation concerning the environment, externalities, world treaties, and country responses to greenhouse gas emissions; renewable fuel standards, tax credits; support for research and development; and support for pilot and demonstration projects. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has a Center for BioEnergy Sustainability that deals with environmental impacts and sustainable biomass produce for biofuels and bio-based products. Bioenergy expansion impacts existing energy systems, energy and food security, food production, environmental and climate security, and sustainable development. Geographical information systems are an excellent tool for depicting environmental and land use constraints. For protection against liability, a developer should perform a screening and environmental assessment prior to or early in the acquisition of the property. For the institutional and environmental problems associated with bioenergy projects, identification of problems, mitigation, and continued monitoring are essential.
