Existing Biomass Infrastructure and Theoretical Potential Biomass Production in the U.S.

Abstract

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The recent and projected status of energy production and consumption in the U.S., resulting in substantial dependencies upon foreign oil, has continued to provide pressure on domestic energy security. All told, bio-energy systems, and biomass crop production in particular, will be important elements of national security, economic vitality, and public policy. Using biomass crop estimates based upon models developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we identify potential biomass crop production zones within the contiguous 48 states of the United States using spatially centered analytic methods. The Midwest and the South regions of the United States are, by far, the largest regions of potential production. However, the Midwest region holds a number of advantageous positions over the South in relation to social and economic competition, which is likely to hinder the development of a bio-economy in the region. Furthermore, we include here the physical location of existing biofuel refinement plants as a measure of the currently available infrastructure. The implications of these spatially advantageous zones for energy policy for alternative biomass crop production are discussed.