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In 2003 — and for the fourth year in a row — biomass was the leading source of renewable energy in the United States, providing 2.9 Quadrillion Btu of energy. Biomass was the source for 47% of all renewable energy or 4% of the total energy produced in the United States (Table 1.2 EIA Monthly Energy Review). Agriculture and forestry residues, and in particular residues from paper mills, are the most common biomass resources used for generating electricity, and industrial process heat and steam and for a variety of biobased products. These are the organic byproducts of food, fiber, and forest production. In fact, 48% or 1.1 Quad Btu of biomass energy was consumed by the pulp and paper industry, solely using black liquor. As Table 7 of the Energy Information Administration's Renewable Energy Annual 2002 shows, current biomass consumption in the United States is dominated by industrial use, largely derived from wood. Use of liquid transportation fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, however, currently derived primarily from agricultural crops, is increasing dramatically. In 2003 ethanol produced from corn reached 2.81 billion gallons.
Ethanol and biodiesel, made from plant matter instead of petroleum, can be blended with or directly substitute for gasoline and diesel, respectively. Use of biofuels reduces toxic air emissions, greenhouse gas buildup, and dependence on imported oil, while supporting agriculture and rural economies. Unlike gasoline and diesel, biofuels contain oxygen. Adding biofuels to petroleum products allows the fuel to combust more completely and this reduces air pollution. When fossil fuels such as petroleum are burned, they also release carbon dioxide that was captured by plants billions of years ago. This release contributes to the buildup of greenhouse gases that contributes to climate change. On the other hand, carbon dioxide released from burning biofuels is balanced by the carbon dioxide capture by the recent growth of the plant materials from which they are made. Depending on how much fossil energy is used to grow and process the biomass feedstock, this results in substantially reduced net greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased products that provide equivalents or alternatives to those made from petroleum and natural gas also contribute to oil import and greenhouse gas reduction, while enhancing biorefinery economics.
A State Energy Alternatives Web site jointly sponsored by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and the National Conference of State Legislatures is a good source of additional information on current use of both biofuels and biomass power, including state-by-state resource and policy information.
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