High investments for Albertans

A government investment incentivising bioenergy developments in Albertans has been announced.

Over the next 3 years, Albertans will receive a total of $444 million (€334.52 million), for use in renewable energy development, starting this year with the amount of $66 million (49.74 million)

'It is to encourage bioenergy production in the province, as a renewable source of energy,' says Alberta Energy spokeswoman, Christine King. 'It goes back to our environmental responsibilities, (and) reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.'

The Bioenergy Producer Credit Program, established in 2006, provides grants to entrepreneurs wanting to start bioenergy businesses and, according to King, then 'tops up' the rate that energy producers get on the market. The program is currently focused on the production of energy from the 20 million tonnes of waste Albertans produces each year.

Jesse Row, director of the Sustainable Communities Group at the Pembina Institute says, 'the bioenergy economy growing around the world has largely been driven by government policy, so this is exactly what we need to be doing.'