Got Wood?

In this week's podcast, we'll look at a variety of biomass sectors: Gasification, combustion and conservation, and make the case for more sustainable use of the resource.

We'll travel to the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands where researchers are working on a gasification technology that could be key to creating cost-competitive synthetic natural gas from waste biomass. Program Leader Bram van der Drift shows us around the facility and gives us an optimistic-yet-realistic picture of the readiness of the technology.

Then we'll talk with Christiane Egger of the Upper Austrian Renewable Energy Agency and Wilson Rickerson of Meister Consultants Group about the stark differences between the European and American renewable heating markets. They'll describe what it takes to create a robust renewable heating industry.

Finally, Ian Gray of the Ceres Sustainability podcast talks with Dorjee Sun, CEO of Carbon Conservation, about the emerging carbon credit market for forest conservation projects. He'll describe the logistics of financing and managing projects around the world.

Inside Renewable Energy is a weekly audio news program featuring stories and interviews on all the latest developments in the renewable energy industries.

And in case you haven't seen it, below is a tour of a local wood pellet plant, New England Wood Pellet. The company is part of the Biomass Thermal Energy Council, set up to promote renewable bioheat in the U.S.