Economic and Social Drivers for Optimal Bioenergy Implementation

If bioenergy is to become an important part of the energy mix it must pass the tests of being technically, economically, and socially feasible and then must be chosen ahead of other feasible solutions such as fossil fuels. This paper focuses on the economic and social drivers for optimal bioenergy use. The agents or players in the economy that make the decisions about how much and what kind of energy to include, are households, firms, and governments. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO) are not and agent in the economy per se but play an important role in the decision –making processes of other agents; their role is also outlined here. The paper outlines how these agents make decisions and proposes potential research for better understanding how these decisions affect the agents’ choices with respect to including bioenergy in their energy choices. The primary goal of this paper is to provide those with understanding of the biological, chemical, engineering, or other technical aspects of bioenergy insight into the economic and social aspects that will ultimately determine if projects are undertaken.