title: External benefits of biomass-e in Spain: an economic valuation.
abstract: This article analyses the willingness to pay for a program that promotes the production of electricity from forest biomass, instead of that based on fossil fuels. The program decreases greenhouse gas emissions, reduces the pressure on non-renewable resources, lowers the risk of summer forest fires, creates employment in rural areas. Results from a choice experiment show that consumers are willing to pay a higher price for electricity in order to obtain the external benefits of the substitution. Respondents attach a higher value to programs that decrease the pressure of non-renewable resources and the risk of forest fires.
authors.affiliation: Forest Research Centre (CIFOR), National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology (INIA), Ctra de La Coruña km 7,5, 28040 Madrid, Spain. solino.mario@inia.es
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soliño
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources / Q000191:economics*; D003657:Decision Making; D004560:Electricity; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources / Q000191:economics*; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D011639:Public Opinion; D012306:Risk; D012424:Rural Population; D013030:Spain; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D005579:Fossil Fuels