Newsletter Archive

The Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) and the Interagency Biomass R&D Board (Interagency Board) held a joint meeting on February 24-25, 2003 for the first time since the establishment of the two groups by the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000. This meeting provided an opportunity for these leaders from the biomass community to meet face-to-face with federal representatives involved in biomass-related R&D, policies, and incentives. The purpose of the joint meeting was to discuss the progress and direction of the federal government's biomass-related R&D programs and related policies.

In preparation for the meeting, each agency of the Interagency Board provided the Advisory Committee with an unprecedented, detailed summary of their agency's biomass-related activities. This review of the interagency matrix of biomass activities showed that the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation have the largest federal investment in biomass research and development activities. The Department of Energy's FY 2003 budget for its Biomass Program is approximately $114 million. Activities supported by these funds include bioconversion activities, oils and syngas platform analyses, biorefinery integration, and the FY 2003 joint Biomass Research and Development Initiative solicitation with the Department of Agriculture. DOE's Office of Science is conducting research on plant systems.

The Department of Agriculture's requested budget for FY 2003 includes approximately $259 million for biomass-related activities across five different mission areas, the majority of which support activities such as research on bioconversion, agronomic practices, and efforts specified in the 2002 Farm Bill. A major portion of USDA's biomass-related budget also goes to incentives through its Commodity Credit Corporation. The National Science Foundation, which is focused on biomass research and education, is supporting approximately $50 million of biomass activities in FY 2003, such as metabolic engineering, biotechnology, plant biology, and genomics.

The Department of Interior does not conduct R&D relevant to the development of biomass resources, technologies, or markets. However, it does support forest and woodland management programs that provide biomass feedstock opportunities. Other agencies of the Interagency Board, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive work to advance biomass research and development through policies, programs, and regulations. A number of the agencies on the Interagency Board collaborate on activities supporting the spirit of the Biomass R&D Act of 2000. For example:

• The Environmental Protection Agency held an Agriculture, Smoke Management and Air Quality Workshop with assistance from the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, and Interior, which focused on increasing interagency communication on the important connection between agriculture, energy, and the environment;
• The Departments of Interior, Energy, and Agriculture are developing a Memorandum of Agreement on policy principles for forest and woodland biomass and wood fiber utilization;
• The Departments of Energy and Agriculture are jointly planning a Residues Workshop for Corn Stover and Wheat Straw to be held in late April 2003; and
• A number of federal agencies are collaborating on an initiative to increase procurement of biobased products in federal facilities.

During the joint meeting, the Advisory Committee expressed its concern that the full potential of biomass is not being pursued in response to the nation's energy future. Budget requests for biomass activities in FY 2004 seem to be decreasing and areas of research that the Committee believes are important, such as co-firing and black-liquor gasification, have either been cut or will be cut in the FY 2004 budget. The Advisory Committee acknowledged that biomass is just one of a number of potential solutions to the nation's energy problems. However, the committee members hope that biomass does not become overlooked while the nation pursues other avenues, such as hydrogen. The Interagency Board urged the Advisory Committee to help educate the public and decision makers on biomass's potential in order to help the federal government advance the use of biomass as a renewable resource and make it a national priority.

The Interagency Board requested that the Advisory Committee use the information provided at the February meeting to closely review the current direction of the federal biomass R&D portfolio in comparison to the Vision and Roadmap recently developed by the Committee. Based on their review, the Advisory Committee will develop recommendations to the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture on their biomass R&D portfolios and identify priority R&D areas, as well as opportunities for interagency collaboration.

For updates and further information on the Advisory Committee and the Interagency Board, please visit http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov.

Click on an agency to view the summary presentation on its biomass-related programs:

• Department of Energy
• Department of Agriculture
• Department of Interior
• Environmental Protection Agency
• National Science Foundation
• Office of Science and Technology Policy
• Office of the Federal Environmental Executive

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Florida's large agricultural industry uses significant quantities of biomass feedstock to produce thermal energy and electric power in the non-utility sector. In fact, in 1999, 27% of gross energy in non-utility facilities in the state was produced using wood and waste.⁶

About 13.9 billion kWh of electricity could be generated in Florida using renewable biomass sources (enough to supply the annual needs of 1,387,000 average homes). This is approximately 16% of the residential electricity use in the state.⁷

In an effort to find a way to use co-firing to convert fast-growing eucalyptus trees and other crops into renewable energy fuel sources for electric utilities in the Southeastern United States, Common Purpose Institute (www.serve.com) is working with the University of Florida, electric utilities, agriculture interests, and engineering firms in maintaining and researching a 130-acre "energy crop plantation" in central Florida-the largest such plantation in the United States. The "super trees" (www.serve.com) used for the project are the result of decades of research performed by the University of Florida and Shell Energy; the fuel generated from these energy crops possesses almost no sulfur, contains half the nitrogen coal contains, and has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.⁸

On February 5 and 6, 2003, the International Conference on Co-Utilization of Domestic Fuels was held in Gainesville, Florida. The purpose of the conference was to explore the benefits of blending domestic fuels -- including agricultural wastes and biosolids -- in eco-friendly thermochemical reactors for waste disposal, electrical generation, and production of gaseous and liquid fuels and chemicals. Conference attendees aimed to create and publish a roadmap for thermal co-utilization of domestic fuels (CDF). The U.S. Department Energy was among the conference's many sponsors.⁹

Florida offers incentives for biomass users. Residents and businesses who chose to use a blend of 5% solar and 95% biomass electric power from Tallahassee Electric Utility to meet 50%, 75%, or 100% of their electricity needs can take advantage of the premium price of 1.6 ¢/kWh. Tallahassee partnered with Sterling Planet (www.sterlingplanet.com), a Georgia-based green power marketer, to offer this incentive.¹⁰

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