By Suzanne H. Schmidt
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Forbes magazine has named North Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, Georgia and North Carolina as the top five U.S. states for producing biomass feedstocks.
According to the Forbes article, biomass feedstocks include agricultural and forest residues, including yard and wood waste. These feedstocks can be converted into liquid fuels or combusted to produce energy.
Iowa was noted for its proximity to the Corn Belt and therefore its large production of agricultural waste. North Dakota made the list based on its potential for growing unconventional feedstocks, such as switchgrass, hybrid poplar and willow. Georgia and Mississippi both have potential in forestry waste. North Carolina was added to the Forbes list because of its expansive swine population. Swine manure is methane-rich and thus has potential for energy production.
When asked about the Forbes article, John Ferrell, manager of the biomass feedstock platform at the U.S. DOE, said there are many ways to determine feedstock potential, which he has been doing for the DOE. He said ag and forestry waste are the two main feedstocks produced by many U.S. states, so it's difficult to say certain states produce more biomass than others, especially when there is such a variety of feedstocks. Not only is the DOE looking at what kinds of biomass each state has, but also where supply can be expanded. "It's a dynamic thing," he said. "You're looking at the present, and you're looking at the future."
In fact, Ferrell said that more than five states show biomass potential. Biomass can come in many different forms, including municipal solid waste. Because of the variety of biomass feedstocks "from one kind of resource to another, really all states have some levels of biomass," he said.
FAQs
Forbes names top five biomass-producing states @BiomassMagazine? ›
Forbes magazine has named North Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, Georgia and North Carolina as the top five U.S. states for producing biomass feedstocks.
Which state is largest producer of biomass energy? ›The leading States for biomass power projects are Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Who is the biggest biomass producer? ›The United States is by far the largest producer of biofuel in the world, accounting for nearly. The country is a major producer of biodiesel, with that year's production amounting to 1.64 billion gallons.
What are the top 5 global locations to use biomass? ›Most of the biomass is used as the primary energy source by people for heating and cooking, ranging from 65% in Haiti, 72% in Kenya, 78% in Democratic Republic of Congo, 81.5% in Nigeria, 85% in Tanzania, to 89% in Kenya and Niger.
Where does most of the biomass energy generated in the United States come from? ›The most familiar biomass feedstocks for thermal conversion are raw materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and scraps from paper or lumber mills.
What states produce the most biofuel? ›Iowa has the largest biodiesel plant production capacity in the nation at nearly 10.6 million barrels (445 million gallons) per year in 2019, about 17% of the nation's total capacity. Texas has been the second-largest producing state for biodiesel since 2016, when it surpassed Illinois and Missouri.
Where in the US is biomass produced? ›Plant | Location | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Buckeye Florida Biomass | FL | 69.40 |
Burgess BioPower | NH | 75.00 |
Burney Forest Power | CA | 31.00 |
Cadillac Renewable Energy | MI | 40.00 |
Plants make up the overwhelming majority of biomass on Earth. There are 320,000 species of plants, and their vital photosynthetic processes keep entire ecosystems from falling apart.
Where is the biggest biomass plant in the world? ›Drax Power Station is the single largest producer of electricity in the UK and the largest biomass power plant in the world, with a supply chain that extends deeply into the forestry industry of the US.
What is the biggest use of biomass energy in the US? ›Biomass energy supports U.S. agricultural and forest-product industries. The main biomass feedstocks for power are paper mill residue, lumber mill scrap, and municipal waste.
Which country uses the most biofuel? ›
The world leaders in biofuel development and use are Brazil, United States, France, Sweden and Germany.
Where is biomass most commonly found? ›Biomass comes from both human and natural activities. By-products from most industries, including timber, agriculture, naturally occurring forest residues, household wastes and landfills, are all viable sources of biomass energy materials.
What is the best biomass? ›Wood wastes of all types make excellent biomass fuels and can be used in a wide variety of biomass technologies. Combustion of woody fuels to generate steam or electricity is a proven technology and is the most common biomass-to-energy process.
What percent of US electricity comes from biomass? ›Growth in wind and solar significantly drove the increase in renewable energy and contributed 14 percent of the electricity produced domestically in 2022. Hydropower contributed 6 percent, and biomass and geothermal sources generated less than 1 percent.
How much US electricity comes from biomass? ›Energy source | Billion kWh | Share of total |
---|---|---|
Solar thermal | 3 | 0.1% |
Biomass (total) | 53 | 1.3% |
Wood | 37 | 0.9% |
Landfill gas | 9 | 0.2% |
- Biomass Feedstocks. ...
- Dedicated Energy Crops. ...
- Agricultural Crop Residue. ...
- Forestry Residues. ...
- Algae. ...
- Wood Processing Residues. ...
- Sorted Municipal Waste. ...
- Wet Waste.
Texas is the largest energy producing state in the United States. In 2021, it accounted for 24.4 percent of the country's total energy production, with the majority originating from crude oil and natural gas.
Who are the largest US biodiesel producers? ›Renewable Energy group (REG) is the leading biodiesel producer by production capacity in the United States. As of January 2022, REG had an annual capacity of 345 million gallons. REG operates eight biodiesel plants, the largest of which is located in Washington state.
Where is 90% of biomass? ›Over 90% of the world's biomass is in Tropical rain forests. Tropical rainforests are the most complex of the world's ecosystems in terms of the physical structure that they develop, and also in their tremendous biodiversity of species and community types.
Where is the worlds 90% biomass? ›Despite the large uncertainty associated with the total biomass of bacteria, we estimate that plants are the dominant kingdom in terms of biomass at an ≈90% probability (more details are provided in the SI Appendix).
What animal has the most biomass? ›
The most successful animal species, in terms of biomass, may well be Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, with a fresh biomass approaching 500 million tonnes.
What state has the most nuclear plants? ›Nuclear energy production in the U.S. 2021, by key state
Illinois is the leading U.S. state in nuclear power production.
The Grand Coulee Dam in Washington has the most electricity generation capacity of any electric power plant in the United States—7,079 megawatts (MW) net summer capacity. The Palo Verde nuclear power plant in Arizona, with three reactors, has the second-largest generating capacity—3,937 MW.
What is the fastest growing biomass plant? ›Summary: Wolffia, also known as duckweed, is the fastest-growing plant known, but the genetics underlying this strange little plant's success have long been a mystery to scientists. New findings about the plant's genome explain how it's able to grow so fast.
How many biomass plants are there in the US? ›According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2018 there were 178 biomass power generating facilities in the U.S., with a total capacity of 6,374 MW of power.
What is the most commonly used biomass fuel still today __? ›Biofuels are transportation fuels produced from plant sources and used to power vehicles. The most common ones are ethanol and biodiesel.
What is the most common biofuel in the US? ›Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels, called "biofuels," to help meet transportation fuel needs. The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel, both of which represent the first generation of biofuel technology.
What are the two most popular biofuel crops grown in the US? ›Sugarcane and corn are used to make ethanol, which is often used as an additive to gasoline, while soybeans and rapeseed (canola) are used to create biodiesel. These plant-derived fuels can be used on their own to drive combustion engines but more often they are blended with traditional gasoline or diesel.
What are the four 4 types of biomass? ›Types of Biomass
We use four types of biomass today: 1) wood and agricultural products; 2) solid waste; 3) landfill gas; and 4) alcohol fuels.
Hundreds of thousands of acres in the southern U.S., from Florida to California, are infested with an exotic plant known as carrizo cane, or giant reed. This relative of bamboo grows 20 to 30 feet tall in a year's time, producing more biomass per acre than almost any other plant on earth.
What is the cheapest biomass fuel? ›
Logs are among the most affordable biomass fuels. They have a calorific value of approximately 4.1 kWh per kilogram, which is higher than wood chips but lower than wood pellets.
What is the fastest growing energy source? ›Wind and solar are the fastest growing renewable sources, but contribute just 5% of total energy used in the U.S.
What is the cheapest renewable energy source for the home? ›✔ Solar power is the cheapest source of energy on the planet
Global renewable energy capacity is growing year-on-year – increasing by 9.1% in 2021 alone, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Bioenergy, or energy derived from biomass, is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels because it can be produced from renewable sources, such as plants and waste, that can be continuously replenished.
Where does most of California's electricity come from? ›The state is the nation's top producer of electricity from solar energy and geothermal resources. In 2022, California was also the nation's second-largest producer of electricity from biomass, after Georgia, and the fourth-largest producer of conventional hydroelectric power, after Washington, Oregon, and New York.
What is the most efficient energy source? ›Nuclear Has The Highest Capacity Factor
As you can see, nuclear energy has by far the highest capacity facto r of any other energy source. This basically means nuclear power plants are producing maximum power more than 92% of the time during the year.
System Useful Life | Years |
---|---|
Biomass Combined Heat and Power | 20 to 30 yr |
Biomass Heat | 20 to 30 yr |
Solar Water Heat | 10 to 25 yr |
Solar Vent Preheat | 30 to 40 yr |
Biomass sources for energy include: Wood and wood processing wastes—firewood, wood pellets, and wood chips, lumber and furniture mill sawdust and waste, and black liquor from pulp and paper mills.
What is the most common biomass material? ›We use four types of biomass today—wood and agricultural products,solid waste, landfill gas and biogas, and alcohol fuels (like Ethanol or Biodiesel). Most biomass used today is home grown energy. Wood—logs, chips, bark, and sawdust—accounts for about 44 percent of biomass energy.
Where is the majority of biomass? ›We find that the biomass of plants dominates the biomass of the biosphere and is mostly located on land. The marine environment is primarily occupied by microbes, mainly bacteria and protists, which account for ≈70% of the total marine biomass. The remaining ≈30% is mainly composed of arthropods and fish.
Where is biomass the greatest? ›
Answer and Explanation: The trophic level that contains the greatest biomass in most ecosystems is the producers. Producers are organisms that are able to make their own food from sunlight or chemicals. Thus, they have access to 100% of the energy available.
Where is most biomass found? ›Apart from bacteria, the total global live biomass has been estimated as 550 or 560 billion tonnes C, most of which is found in forests. Shallow aquatic environments, such as wetlands, estuaries and coral reefs, can be as productive as forests, generating similar amounts of new biomass each year on a given area.
Which region has the highest biomass? ›Forest Ecosystem has the highest biomass as it includes organism of all tropic level as compared to other ecosystems.
Where is biomass most commonly used in the US? ›The wood products and paper industries use biomass in combined heat and power plants for process heat and to generate electricity for their own use. Liquid biofuels account for most of the transportation sector's biomass consumption. The residential and commercial sectors use firewood and wood pellets for heating.
What is the 10 percent rule? ›On average, only about 10 percent of energy stored as biomass in a trophic level is passed from one level to the next. This is known as “the 10 percent rule” and it limits the number of trophic levels an ecosystem can support. biomass. noun. living organisms, and the energy contained within them.
What ocean zone has the most biomass? ›Answer and Explanation: The Neritic zone, the marine environment extending from shallow waters (low water) to the depth of 200m, has the most biomass. This zone stretches from the intertidal zone to the continental shelf.