Economic Development through Biomass Systems Integration: U.S. Energy Department Feasibility Studies

The broad objectives of 'Economic Development Through Biomass Systems Integration' projects were to promote the development of integrated biomass production and conversion technologies, and to evaluate the potential for early implementation of cost-shared field demonstrations or pre-commercial developments of integrated systems in anticipation of future joint ventures to commercialize thesesystems. Specifically, these feasibility studies were to determine the technical, environmental, and economic viability of implementing integrated systems that would lead to planting tree and grass crops to serve as dedicated feedstock supply systems, and the scale-up of conversion technologies for producing liquid biofuels, and electric power that would use the dedicated feedstock supplysystems. Some of the final reports are slated to published and available through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Because of space constraints we present brief summaries of 9 of the studies. Further demonstration and scale-up after completion of these feasibility studies will enhance our understanding of the economics and policy of energy, agriculture and environment at local, regionaland national scales.