How Local Bioenergy Systems Can Keep the Lights On During Climate Disasters

As many areas of the world experience more extreme temperatures and heightened threats of climate disasters, some communities have turned to localized bioenergy solutions to gain resilience, bolster economies and increase energy independence. What are some of the success stories, and why do they matter?

Turning a Former Waste Product Into Energy Sources

Increasing community resilience often means altering people’s perspectives about what they can use versus discard. A good example comes from the Philippines, which has recently opened a rice straw-based bioenergy hub. Rice straw is a commonly discarded by-product of milling and harvest seasons when countries lack the economic and technical resources to process it. Many farmers then burn the waste to clear their fields, which contributes to climate change.

This new facility processes 10,000 metric tonnes of rice straw annually, and turns it into methane, fertilizer and charcoal. Experts associated with the initiative also believe it will increase revenue options for small-scale farmers by giving them easily accessible sustainable energy solutions to further their rural livelihoods. 

This achievement came after extensive research that examined how to succeed in local communities by addressing numerous existing barriers. Similar positive outcomes could occur elsewhere, primarily if those involved assess the climate-related disasters most likely to affect specific areas and explore how creative bioenergy solutions can mitigate their unwanted effects.

Some generators can run on either diesel or vegetable oil, for example. Those could increase community resilience when the grid and infrastructure become unreliable or unavailable. Ongoing power system maintenance also enables parties to prepare for component upgrades or replacements while enhancing overall reliability.

Giving Rural Communities More Options

Bioenergy sources can also enhance community members’ flexibility, helping them spend less on energy costs while elevating their safeguards against power outages. Those proactive measures pay off in the short term and enable households to continue reaping the rewards if climate change makes extreme weather worse.

The residents of Galena, a rural Alaskan village, are familiar with this from their ongoing experiences. The 400 people who live there have built a community around a former military base, but they rely on costly, imported diesel for energy. One man raising his two daughters there typically spends approximately $7,000 to heat their cabin during the winter. The difficulties also span beyond the expenses. A power outage during one period of subzero temperatures lasted for hours and froze the pipes, leaving many homes without running water.

As of June 2025, Galena boasted a nearly completed solar plant to complement its existing biomass facility. Local leaders say these resources will give residents clean backup power during emergencies and strengthen grid resiliency while diversifying the available energy sources and providing jobs for the community.

Galena had one of Alaska’s first large-scale biomass plants, and its location remains the most rural. Hundreds of students attending a local vocational training school benefit from biomass energy, which enables the school district and city to offset approximately 100,000 gallons of diesel each year. The associated cost savings have also created more room in the budget to hire certified professionals for trade needs and keep campus facilities in good condition. Officials formerly needed about 250,000 gallons of fuel each year to heat it.

Pursuing Bioenergy for Proactiveness

The variability associated with climate change means people cannot necessarily predict when disasters will happen and their overall severity. That is why now is an excellent time for local community authorities to research and implement bioenergy options, such as those mentioned here, to explore how these possibilities prepare residents for the future.