State Bioenergy Primer

One renewable energy option that states frequently consider to meet their clean energy goals is the use of biomass resources to develop bioenergy. Bioenergy includes bioheat, biopower, biofuels, and bioproducts.

The State Bioenergy Primer: Information and Resources for States on Issues, Opportunities, and Options for Advancing Bioenergy (September 2009) provides an overview of biomass feedstocks, basic information about biomass conversion technologies, and a discussion of benefits and challenges of bioenergy options. The Primer includes a step–wise framework, resources, and tools for determining the availability of feedstocks, assessing potential markets for biomass, and identifying opportunities for action at the state level. Each chapter contains a list of selected resources and tools that states can use to explore topics in further detail.

• State Bioenergy Primer Full Report (PDF) (104 pp, 5.25M)
• State Bioenergy Primer Executive Summary (PDF) (2 pp, 93K)

By Chapter:

• Chapter 1: Introduction (PDF) (4 pp, 524K)
• Chapter 2: What is Bioenergy? (PDF) (18 pp, 861K)
• Chapter 3: Benefits, Challenges, and Considerations of Bioenergy (PDF) (22 pp, 594K)
• Chapter 4: How Can States Identify Bioenergy Opportunities? (PDF) (20 pp, 2.8M)
• Chapter 5: Options for States to Advance Bioenergy Goals (PDF) (12 pp, 632K)
• Appendix A: Resources and Tools for States (PDF) (14 pp, 162K)
• Appendix B: Glossary (PDF) (4 pp, 128K)