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Andrew Lang and his colleagues present an enthusiastic vision for bioenergy in Australia (Nature 488, 590–591; 2012). However, the country's large area and low population notwithstanding, the contribution of biomass to the national renewable-energy portfolio will be constrained by poor soils, low primary productivity and the time and logistics needed to establish plantings.

Optimistic projections of bioenergy production and usage based on biomass flows and operation costs in other countries can harm the industry by unrealistically raising public expectations. Australia's sustainable biomass production might be enough to replace 15% of electricity demand or 34% of current petroleum consumption (D. R. Farine et al. GCB Bioenergy 4, 148–175; 2012). Investors and decision-makers will need to make real-world tests of assumptions and uncertainties in their own national and local contexts.

Advanced energy-generation technologies based on woody lignocellulose sources are reducing the impact of the bioenergy sector on food crops, but more research, development and investment are needed to find sustainable ways of resolving the competition for land and water.

Realizing Australia's bioenergy potential will take time. Supportive policies are needed to reduce the risk for investment. Regional hotspots for economic and sustainable bioenergy production must be identified and technology locally matched to biomass resources and scale of use. A clear strategy will be needed to incorporate biomass resources effectively into the suite of available renewable energies.