Biomass for energy benefits poorest Dominicans, official says

Santo Domingo.- Generating energy with biomass can fight inequality and benefit the Dominican Republic’s poorest citizens, Energy and Mines minister Antonio Isa Conde affirmed Thurs.

He called biomass’ value chain “marvelous,” because it goes from crops for energy, the use of organic waste and marketing, to providing jobs and improved income.

The official spoke during the presentation of the Statistical and Geographic System to evaluate biomass’ energy potential, by a multi-institutional team coordinated by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Isa said energy production with that fuel is becoming increasingly important globally, accounting for around 10% of the generation worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency.

“We have to take advantage of biomass, because unlike other sources of renewable energy, such as wind and sun, it’s more manageable and its risk factors are more controllable, since to a greater extent they depend on the hand of the human being and not as much on the eventualities of nature,” the official said.