Yukon government adopts biomass energy strategy

The Yukon Government has officially adopted a strategyto get Yukoners to heat their homes in a way that itsays iscost-effective and environmentally sustainable.

The government drafted its biomass strategy last year, noting that wood-fueled heating systemsare present in just 20 per cent of Yukon homes.

Yukonersspend $60million a year on fossil fuels, a figure the government wants reduced.

Shane Andre with the Yukon Government's Energy Solutions says creating and supporting abiomassindustry in the Yukon makes more sense than trucking in fossil fuels.

"[With] just five per cent of what burns naturally in the territory,we could heat every building in the territory," saidShane Andre with Energy Solutions.

Andre says burning wood would help promote a sustainable forest industry in the territory.He also saysburning wood is considered carbon neutral.

"As long as we are allowing the forest toregrow, the carbon dioxide emissions we release when we burn it will be returned to the tree and therefore is a neutral cycle."

Andre says it's important Yukonersmake sure they're using awoodstove, that's approved by the Environmental Protection Agencyand onethat's installed properly.

"Make sure you're burning dry wood and make sure you're keeping a hot fire box," he says"ifyou do those key things you'll find that emissions from that fire are very low."

Wood pellets have heated the Whitehorse Correctional Centresince it opened four years ago and the governmentwants to use more biomass energy for government infrastructure.

Andre saysthere's no reason the main government building couldn't be heated with wood in the future.