The Government of Yukon has announced the adoption of the Yukon Biomass Energy Strategy. The strategy aims to guide the development of a biomass energy sector in the territory and provides opportunities for generating new energy for heating from local renewable energy sources. Wood, which is the most available biomass resource in the Yukon, is the main focus of the strategy.
There are six key action areas that are found within the strategy. They include: using biomass energy for government infrastructure; developing regulations, policies and programs for a biomass energy industry; managing air quality to protect public and environmental health and safety; facilitating the development of a biomass energy industry in the Yukon; ensuring a sustainable timber supply; and ensuring biomass fuel quality and security.
“Over time, the Yukon government aims to encourage the adoption of modern, clean-burning wood-heating technologies and optimize the use of local wood resources in the production of heat to deliver adequate energy during our long, cold winter months,” said Scott Kent, minister of energy, mines and resources.
The Yukon Biomass Energy Strategy joins the recently adopted Independent Power Production policy and the Micro-generation policy as part of the Yukon government’s broader efforts to increase renewable energy and to achieve energy self-reliance as per the Energy Strategy for Yukon and the Climate Change Action Plan.
