Bioenergy Status and Expansion in the United States Lynn L. Wright and Lynn A. Kszos

The U.S. is a large consumer and producer of energy. Current energy consumption is about 100 EJ with bioenergy providing 3% of the total. The U.S. President has charged the Departments of Energy and Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency to modify and coordinate their programs to promote an increase by 3 times the amount of biobased products and bioenergy produced in 2010. Legislative actions are also supporting increased bioenergy research and modification of tax incentives to encourage increased bioenergy commercialization. Development of biomass power production technologies and biomass liquid fuels production is being pursued through separate programs with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Each program has differing needs and expectations for biomass feedstock research. The Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program (BFDP) integrates the feedstock needs of both programs. Research is addressing near-term, mid-term and long-term goals simultaneously. Development of new crops and cropping technology comprises the largest component of the current program. More emphasis is being placed on residues, both agricultural and urban, to meet near-term bioenergy goals