Japan is giving favourable tariffs to power producers who burn leftover wood to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. The programme is so successful that local biomass producers already are having problems meeting demand, and researchers warn there may not be enough raw materials to feed the power stations now being planned. Some environmentalists even question whether the use of biomass is as carbon-free as advertised. "There are already regions that have been unable to retain the same suppliers because of new projects being planned," said Norichika Ando, an economist at the Norinchukin Research Institute in Tokyo