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Australia's government strongly supports the production of energy from renewable sources. But it is not yet tapping into biomass — the country's most cost-competitive renewable source.

Australia could generate at least 50 million tonnes of economically available biomass every year, with potentially millions more coming from sustainable forest management and from decomposed waste. With the help of mature bioenergy technologies already in use in other countries, this could provide more than 20% of the country's primary energy for heat, electricity and transportation. Modern biomass-fuelled plants have a fuel-to-energy conversion efficiency of more than 85%, comparing favourably with Australia's present coal-fired condensing plants and gas-fired turbine systems.

We should follow the lead of countries such as Austria, the land area of which is roughly 1% of Australia's (much of it comprising urban regions and alpine reserves). Austria produces more than 20 million tonnes of biomass as wastes and residues for energy production. In 2009, this constituted more than half of the 30% of primary energy that came from renewable sources.

Using sustainably produced biomass instead of fossil fuels can cut greenhouse-gas emissions, depending on effective use of the heat produced and increased net carbon sequestration by expanded plantings. Integrating farmed forestry plantations and woody energy crops within current farming areas would increase biomass supply without disrupting water run-off or the production of food and fibre. Fewer conventional water-cooled power plants would also mean reduced consumption of potable water.