Bioenergy for Community Energy Security in Canada: Challenges in the Business Ecosystem

Vikas Menghwani (), Rory Wheat, Bobbie Balicki, Greg Poelzer, Bram Noble and Nicolas Mansuy
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Vikas Menghwani: Department of Geography and Planning, Kirk Hall, 117 Science Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
Rory Wheat: School of Environment and Sustainability, Kirk Hall, 117 Science Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
Bobbie Balicki: Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, 51 Campus Drive, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, Canada
Greg Poelzer: School of Environment and Sustainability, Kirk Hall, 117 Science Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
Bram Noble: Department of Geography and Planning, Kirk Hall, 117 Science Place, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
Nicolas Mansuy: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, 5320 122 Street, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Bioenergy represents a viable renewable alternative for the many off-grid remote communities in Northern Canada that rely on diesel-based energy infrastructure. Despite the abundance of forest-based biomass, bioenergy for heat and power in Canada is used primarily in industrial contexts. Community-scale bioenergy, although growing, has been limited. Supply chain challenges, institutional and policy arrangements, and community perspectives indicate a need to better understand the ‘business ecosystem’ for bioenergy in Canada. The ecosystem includes technologies, community contexts, suppliers, developers, and policy makers. In this study, we explore the bioenergy business ecosystem challenges and perspectives from supply-side stakeholders. Interviews were conducted with representatives from the government, industry, and community—all working in bioenergy. The results indicate the following challenges facing the bioenergy ecosystem, with respect to community energy security: lack of cross-jurisdictional consistency in legislation and policies across Canada, structural issues such as subsidized energy and utility ownership, and misdirected support for local capacity building in the bioenergy sector. We also find that the existing support systems are prone to misuse, pointing to efficiency gaps in investment flows. The insights that emerge from this work, especially from industry stakeholders, are meaningful for communities and policy makers alike.

Keywords: bioenergy ecosystem; indigenous energy; forest biomass; community energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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