Competitiveness of biomass-fueled electrical power plants

One way countries like the United States can comply with suggested rollbacks in greenhouse gas emissions is by employing power plants fueled with biomass. We examine the competitiveness of biomass-based fuel for electrical power as opposed to coal using a mathematical programming structure. We consider fueling power plants from milling residues, whole trees, logging residues, switch grass, or short-rotation woody crops. We do this using a combined model of the agricultural and forestry sectors. We find that the competitiveness of biomass depends in a key way upon the success of research in developing improved production methods for short-rotation woody crops without great increases in costs.