Electricity from Biomass for Rural India.

• Position: Brief Article

Burning wood and animal waste is the oldest form of energy known to man; use of such biomass can do inadvertent harm to forest resources and pose health risks when used indoors. Nor are stoves lit by such fires particularly energy-efficient. But biomass is readily available and is cheap. Better stoves and gasifiers, which convert biomass energy to gaseous form, can improve this efficiency dramatically; when converted to electricity, biomass can power a range of services, including electricity and communications. Proper conversion reduces carbon dioxide emissions from biomass and provides greater sustainability than non-renewable energy sources.

The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs is administering this $370,660 project, the first phase in commercializing...