Biomass is any organic material from plants or animals that can be converted to create biobased products, biogas, or biofuels through a heating process.

FEEDSTOCKS
Biomass feedstocks include: forest residues, mill residues, agricultural residues, urban wood wastes, and dedicated energy crops such as switchgrass and sugarcane. 1

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Growing biomass (e.g. energy crops), has potential land, habitat, and soil conservation benefits, as well as negative implications involved with using agricultural land for fuel production.

Producing energy from residues in forests, mills, and landfills avoids the release of methane into the atmosphere from decomposition of unused wood and agricultural wastes.

Biomass is the only renewable energy that can be directly substituted for petroleum-based transportation fuels, which account for one-third of U.S.'s CO2 emissions - one of the principal greenhouse gases. Much of this CO2 and other harmful emissions can be alleviated by substituting biofuels for fossil fuels or by using them as fuel additives - such as ethanol.2

An environmentally friendly waste management strategy.

BENEFITS
Developing a strong industry for biomass fuels, power, and products in the United States
can have tremendous economic benefits including energy independence, job creation, and strengthening of agricultural markets.

DISADVANTAGES
Biomass production is only cost effective on a large-scale. Cost associated with transporting biomass feedstocks for conversion off-site, often yield little to no return on investment, however local biomass plants can make conversion cost-effective.

PRODUCTS OF BIOMASS
Products of biomass include biobased chemicals and materials, biogas or biopower, and biofuels.

BIOBASED PRODUCTS
Biobased chemicals and materials are commercial or industrial products, other than food and feed, derived from biomass feedstocks. Biobased products include green chemicals, renewable plastics, natural fibers and natural structural materials.3

BIOGAS
Biopower, or biomass power, is the use of biomass to generate electricity or heat and steam required for the operation of a refinery. Biopower system technologies include direct-fired, cofiring, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and small, modular.4

BIOFUELS
Biofuels are transportation fuels which can be used either as an alternative fuel or as an octane-boosting, pollution-reducing additive to petroleum gasoline. Ethanol and biodiesel are the most widely used biofuels today.

BIOMASS TO ENERGY CONVERSION TECHNOLOGIES
There are four primary classes of Bioenergy or Biopower systems:

DIRECT-FIRED
The most commonly used technology, direct-firing is a similar idea to that of a fossil fuel plant where the feedstock is burned in a boiler which produces steam that creates flow over a turbine that is connected to a generator in order to produce electricity.

COFIRING
Same process involved in direct-firing, only this system involves using a portion of coal.

BIOMASS GASIFIERS
Involves heating the feedstock to the point of gasification. A commonly used gasification technology application for manure waste management is anaerobic digestion.

MODULAR SYSTEMS
Employs the same technologies as above, but intended for economical use on a smaller scale. These systems are now under development.

VALLEY ACCESS POTENTIAL
Studies indicate that California has excellent biomass resource potential. California has one of the highest amounts of forest residues, mill residues, and urban wood wastes. All such residues and wastes can potentially be used as feedstock for converting biomass.

For more information on biomass visit the U.S. Dept. of Energy at www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/

1 US DOE EERE: www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/abcs_biofuels.html#feed (last accessed April 22, 2009)
2 Green Energy Resources: www.greenenergyresources.com/renewableenergy.aspx (last accessed April 22, 2009)
3 US DOE EERE: www1.eere.energy.gov/tribalenergy/guide/biomass_energy.html (last accessed April 22, 2009)
4 Temperate Forest Foundation: www.forestinfo.org/products/eco-links/biomass.pdf (last accessed April 22, 2009)