Power generation using biomass could provide substantial environmental and socio-economic benefits. Production of the feedstocks to fuel biomass power plants can either add to potential environmental gains or contribute to the environmental problems which the agriculture and forestry industries already face. Likewise, the biomass energy infrastructure can help strengthen agricultural economies or speed the decline of rural communities. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a regional approach to ensure that energy crop production will proceed in an ecologically and economically sustainable way. At this juncture, we have the opportunity to build into the system some ecological and socio-economic values which have not traditionally [...]
