TRENDS AND OUTLOOK FOR BIOMASS ENERGY

Among renewable energy resources, biomass is one of the most promising, with the potential for providing electricity through combustion, gasification, and biochemical processes as well as supplying gaseous and liquid fuels that can compete with conventional energy sources in large-scale applications. The production of biomass for energy purposes can also offer environmental benefits. The most notable is the potential for providing energy with little or no net buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere if the biomass is produced renewably. Biomass also has the potential to help revitalize the rural sector of the economy. A domestic natural resource, biomass can be grown and harvested, which requires labor. The biomass power industry can therefore create jobs in harvesting and transporting biomass and in the related industries of fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural equipment. In the future, biomass facilities will be larger and more efficient and, as such, an important alternative for energy generators. This article summarizes the factors relating to the use of biomass as a fuel source, the technology options for power generation, and examines the trends and outlook for biomass energy generation in the United States.