U.S. BILLI N-TON UPDATE Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry August 2011 U.S. Billion-Ton Update: Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry A Study Sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office of the Biomass Program August 2011 Prepared by OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831–6335 managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. This report is being disseminated by the Department of Energy. As such, the document was prepared in compliance with Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-554) and information quality guidelines issued by the Department of Energy. Further, this report could be “influential scientific information” as that term is defined in the Office of Management and Budget’s Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review (Bulletin). This report has been peer reviewed pursuant to section II of the Bulletin. Availability This report, as well as supporting documentation, data, and analysis tools, can be found on the Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework at http://bioenergykdf.net. Citation Please cite as follows: U.S. Department of Energy. 2011. U.S. Billion-Ton Update: Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry. R.D. Perlack and B.J. Stokes (Leads), ORNL/TM-2011/224. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. 227p. Additional Information The U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of the Biomass Program, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory provide access to information and publications on biomass availability and other topics. The following websites are available: http://www.energy.gov/ http://www.eere.energy.gov/ http://www.eere.energy.gov/topics/biomass.html http://www.ornl.gov/sci/bioenergy/ DISCLAIMER Although the authors have made every attempt to use the best information and data available, to provide transparency in the analysis, and had experts provide input and review, the readers need to be reminded that the updated U.S. Billion-Ton Update is still a strategic assessment, albeit an improved assessment, of potential biomass. It alone is not sufficiently designed, developed, and validated to be a tactical planning and decision tool. Even though the analysis does provide county by county estimates of the feedstocks at a selected cost, these estimates are only useful for strategic assessments. The users are encouraged to use the website and the associated information to better understand the assumptions and ramifications of using the analysis. Furthermore, the updated Billion-Ton Update should only be used with other tools and specific data and information for tactical business decisions. When used correctly, the updated Billion-Ton Update is a valuable tool. The Federal Government prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and, where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. CONTRIBUTORS Oak Ridge National Laboratory CNJV/ DOE Golden Field Office Robert D. Perlack,* Ph.D. – Senior Scientist, Bryce J. Stokes,* Ph.D. – Senior Advisor, Bioenergy Resource and Engineering Systems Golden, Colorado Group, Environmental Sciences Division Texas A&M University Laurence M. Eaton – Research Scientist, Bioenergy William L. Rooney, Ph.D. – Professor, Department Resource and Engineering Systems Group, of Soil and Crop Sciences, College Station, Texas Environmental Sciences Division Idaho National Laboratory Anthony F. Turhollow Jr., Ph.D. – Research Scientist, David J. Muth – Engineer, Bioenergy Programs, Bioenergy Resource and Engineering Systems Idaho Falls, Idaho Group, Environmental Sciences Division J. Richard Hess, Ph.D. – Program Leader, Matt H. Langholtz, Ph.D. – Research Scientist, Bioenergy Programs, Idaho Falls, Idaho Bioenergy Resource and Engineering Systems Group, Environmental Sciences Division Jared M. Abodeely – Research Engineer, Bioenergy Programs, Idaho Falls, Idaho Craig C. Brandt – Research Scientist, Microbial Ecology & Physiology Group, Biosciences Division University of Tennessee Mark E. Downing, Ph.D. – Group Leader, Bioenergy Chad Hellwinckel, Ph.D. – Research Assistant Resource and Engineering Systems Group, Professor, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, Environmental Sciences Division Knoxville, Tennessee Robin L. Graham, Ph.D. – Bioenergy Program Daniel De La Torre Ugarte, Ph.D. – Professor, Manager, Environmental Sciences Division Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, Knoxville, Tennessee Lynn L. Wright – Consultant, Bioenergy Resource and Engineering Systems Group, Environmental Daniel C. Yoder, Ph.D. – Professor, Biosystems Sciences Division Engineering and Soil Science, Knoxville, Tennessee Jacob M. Kavkewitz – Bioenergy Resource and Engineering Systems Group, Environmental Sciences James P. Lyon – Analyst, Biosystems Engineering Division and Soil Science, Knoxville, Tennessee Anna M. Shamey – Bioenergy Resource and Timothy G. Rials, Ph.D. – Director, Center for Engineering Systems Group, Environmental Sciences Renewable Carbon, Knoxville, Tennessee Division State University of New York Kansas State University Timothy A. Volk, Ph.D. – Senior Research Richard G. Nelson, Ph.D. – Director and Department Associate, College of Environmental Science and Head, Engineering Extension Programs, Manhattan, Forestry, Syracuse, New York Kansas Thomas S. Buchholz, Ph.D. – Research Scientist, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York Lawrence P. Abrahamson, Ph.D. – Senior Research Associate, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York * Study Leads i Iowa State University Patrick D. Miles – Research Forester, Northern Research Station, St. Paul, Minnesota Robert P. Anex, Ph.D. – Professor, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Ames, Iowa D. Andrew Scott, Ph.D. – Soil Scientist, Southern University of Illinois Research Station, Normal, Alabama Thomas B. Voigt, Ph.D. – Extension Specialist, James H. Perdue – Senior Biological Scientist, Department of Crop Sciences, Urbana, Illinois Southern Research Station, Knoxville, Tennessee University of Minnesota Robert B. Rummer, Ph.D. – Research Engineer, Southern Research Station, Auburn, Alabama William Berguson – Director, Natural Resources Research Institute, Duluth, Minnesota Jamie Barbour, Ph.D. – Program Manager, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, Oregon Don E. Riemenschneider, Ph.D. – Geneticist, Natural Resources Research Institute, Duluth, Minnesota John A. Stanturf, Ph.D. – Research Ecologist, USDA Agricultural Research Service Southern Research Station, Athens, Georgia Douglas L. Karlen, Ph.D. – Soil Scientist, Soil, David B.McKeever – Research Forester, Forest Water, and Air Resources Research Unit, Ames, Iowa Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin Jane M. F. Johnson, Ph.D. – Research Soil Scientist, Ronald S. Zalesny Jr., Ph.D. – Geneticist, Northern North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab, Research Station, Rhinelander, Wisconsin Morris, Minnesota Edmund A. Gee – National Woody Biomass Robert B. Mitchell, Ph.D. – Research Agronomist, Utilization Team Lead, Washington, D.C. Grain, Forage & Bioenergy Research Unit, Lincoln, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Nebraska P. Daniel Cassidy, Ph.D. – National Program Leader Kenneth P. Vogel, Ph.D. – Supervisory Research for Forest-based Bioenergy, Washington, D.C. Geneticist, Grain, Forage & Bioenergy Research Unit, Lincoln, Nebraska USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Edward P. Richard Jr., Ph.D. – Research Leader, David Lightle, Ph.D. – Agronomist, National Soil Sugarcane Research Unit, Houma, Louisiana Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska John Tatarko, Ph.D. – Soil Scientist, Engineering and Wind Erosion Research Unit, Manhattan, Kansas Larry E. Wagner, Ph.D. – Agricultural Engineer, Engineering and Wind Erosion Research Unit, Manhattan, Kansas USDA Forest Service Kenneth E. Skog, Ph.D. – Economist, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin Patricia K. Lebow, Ph.D. – Mathematical Statistician, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin Dennis P. Dykstra, Ph.D. – Research Forest Products Technologist, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, Oregon Marilyn A. Buford, Ph.D. – Silviculture Research National Program Leader, Washington Office, Washington, D.C. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people worked to provide