Biomass has generated energy from the time it created the first fire, and wood is still the largest bioenergy resource available today. Other sources include food crops, grasses, agricultural residues, manure and methane from landfills. Fossil fuels are simply ancient forms of biomass, but their finiteness and negative environmental impact makes it imperative to develop our renewable biomass resources for our energy needs. Because biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy it is an attractive petroleum alternative.

Due to its large agricultural and forestry sectors, Texas has an abundance of biomass energy resources within a wide variety of land, climate and soil conditions. Texas biomass is already producing fuel, electricity, and ethanol and biodiesel biofuels while creating jobs from clean, sustainable sources of energy. For an overview of the use of biomass in Texas, see the Biomass Overview in the Texas Comptroller's 2008 energy report.

Texas Bioenergy Strategy

In July 2007, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced the Texas Bioenergy Strategy, and awarded a $5 million Texas Emerging Technology Fund grant to Texas A&M University for research and biofuel advancements. In a four year project, Texas A&M University and the Chevron Corroboration are partnering on research efforts to find ways to speed up harvesting of cellulose crops and turning them into biofuels. The Governor said that Texas will focus on creating biofuels through cellulosic feedstock such as switchgrass, wood chips and corn stems - rather than from corn crops, which are a staple for the Texas cattle industry.

Texas HB 1090

Texas HB 1090: Biomass Power Generation & Revised Renewable Energy Requirements
During its 80th Legislative Session in 2007, the Texas Legislature focused on biomass power production and passed HB 1090, which authorizes $30 million annually for Department of Agriculture grants to farmers, loggers, and diverters who provide qualified agricultural biomass, forest wood waste, urban wood waste, or storm-generated biomass debris to facilities that use biomass to generate electrical energy. The bill provides funding for those who provide waste in the form of:

• Landfill diversions
• Forest wood waste from logging operations
• Storm debris
• Urban wood waste
• Landscape right-of-way trimmings
• Other agricultural organic waste

2005 Texas Biomass Energy Consumption

Source: DOE Energy Information Administration.

Biomass energy consumption varies by sector of the economy. In 2005, Texas consumed 73 trillion Btu of biomass energy from wood and waste, and 2.4 trillion Btu from ethanol. Industry used 72 percent of total biomass energy consumption in 2005 (the most recent data available). Industry, particularly the paper, chemical and food processing industries, often uses the biomass it produces in its operations to generate electricity, heat and steam that it uses on site. The residential sector is the second-largest user of biomass energy in Texas, accounting for 18 percent of consumption.

2008 U.S. Farm Bill

In May, 2008, the U.S. Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the new farm bill that will accelerate the commercialization of advanced biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol, encourage the production of biomass crops, and expand the current Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program. Section 9003 provides for grants covering up to 30% of the cost of developing and building demonstration-scale biorefineries for producing "advanced biofuels," which essentially includes all fuels that are not produced from corn kernel starch. It also allows for loan guarantees of up to $250 million for building commercial-scale biorefineries to produce advanced biofuels. For bill details, see this DOE article.

Biomass to Biofuels

By intersecting three of our state’s largest industries – energy, agriculture and petrochemicals – researchers in Texas have made tremendous progress in developing bioenergy and fuel sources from such things as plant cells, compost and fertilizers. Texas Governor Rick Perry 2007

U.S. agricultural products specifically grown for conversion to biofuels include corn for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel. The conversion of biomass into ethanol and biodiesel provides farmers an additional market for their crops. Biofuel production typically creates far more local jobs than other types of energy projects because biomass fuels are usually produced by local suppliers within close proximity to the site. Over the years, many federal and state rules have been developed to promote biofuels production for use in industry and in reformulated gasoline. Also see Crops for Fuel.

Texas is a leader in the rapidly expanding biofuels industry. Biomass produces ethanol, a gasoline alternative to petroleum based transportation fuel, and biodiesel, which is a diesel fuel alternative. Biobutanol, which is nearly as efficient as gasoline, is another alcohol fuel similar to ethanol, and can be produced from sugar cane, switchgrass or other biomass stocks.

A great amount of research by federal, state, university and private industry is currently focused on the conversion of non-grain crops, such as switchgrass and a variety of woody crops, to biofuels. A significant breakthrough is the conversation of biomass into cellulosic ethanol. Cellulosic biomass includes a variety of non-food plant materials, such as agricultural wastes, saw dust, paper pulp, and switchgrass.

Biomass Consumption

In it's 2008 Annual Energy Outlook, The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration projected biomass energy to increase from 2.97quadrillion Btu (quads) in 2006 to 5.52 quads in 2030, an 86% increase (one quad of energy is equivalent to 340,000 tank cars of crude oil). Biofuels are expected to nearly quadruple, growing from 0.5 quads in 2006 to 1.87 quads in 2030.

Environmentally Friendly

Because biofuels are vegetable oil based, gaseous and particulate emissions can be reduced with their use due to the fact that, as biomass matter, they are part of the natural cycle of assimilation of CO2 by plants for their growth and development. For this reason, the use of these fuels could result in a zero net gain in oxides of carbon emissions.

Return to Top of Page

Send comments, questions, and suggestions to website manager.

Window on State Government | Privacy and Security Policy | Accessibility Policy