DOE previews 2016 Billion-Ton Study update
July 16, 2015
BY Erin Krueger
A recent U.S. Department of Energy webinar, titled “A Changing Market for Biofuels and Bioproducts,” included a preview of the 2016 U.S. Billion-Ton Study update, which is currently scheduled for release in June 2016. The event was presented by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office.
The DOE’s first version of the Billion-Ton Study was released in 2005 and aimed to determine how much biomass might be available in the U.S. in the future. It also addressed changes in resources and what the drivers of those changes might be. During the webinar, Bryce Stokes of CNJV explained that the initial update, published in 2011, added additional elements to the analysis, including certain metrics related to cost, supply and biomass location. The next update, scheduled for release next year, will expand to address issues related to sustainability, quality, costs and raw material losses. It will also address algae.
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The updated report is expected to feature a new forestry model that looks at land use change and some of the implications associated with demand of raw materials for housing, pulp and paper, and other wood uses. Laurence Eaton of Oak Ridge National Laboratory said the 2016 update would also look at an extended time line, through 2040.
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