How does collecting biomass affect the environment?

Burning either fossil fuels or biomass releases carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas. However, the plants that are the source of biomass capture a nearly equivalent amount of CO2 through photosynthesis while they are growing, which can make biomass a carbon-neutral energy source.

Biomass energy has little harmful effect on the environment. Biomass energy is usually electricity from a power station where the fuel used is wood or other vegetation, rather than fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas).