Page 8 - Climate Change Impacts in the United States

7: FORESTS

Key Message 3: Bioenergy Potential

Bioenergy could emerge as a new market for wood and could aid in the
restoration of forests killed by drought, insects, and fire.

Bioenergy refers to the use of plant-based material to produce wood and forest residues have emerged in the southern and
energy, and comprises about 28% of the U.S. renewable energy northeastern United States, particularly in states that have
supply (Ch. 10: Energy, Water, and Land). Forest resources adopted renewable fuel standards. The economic viability of
potentially could produce bioenergy from 504 million acres of using forests for bioenergy depends on regional context and
timberland and 91 million acres of other forested land (Figure circumstances, such as species type and prior management,
7.7). Bioenergy from all sources, including agricultural and land conditions, transport and storage logistics, conversion
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forests, could theoretically supply the equivalent of up to 30% processes used to produce energy, distribution, and use. The
of current U.S. petroleum consumption, but only if all relevant environmental and socioeconomic consequences of bioenergy
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policies were optimized. The maximum projected potential production vary greatly with region and intensity of human
for forest bioenergy ranges from 3% to 5% of total current U.S. management.
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energy consumption.
The potential for biomass energy to increase timber harvests
Forest biomass energy could be one component of an overall has led to debates about whether forest biomass energy
bioenergy strategy to reduce emissions of carbon from fossil leads to higher carbon emissions. 44,59 The debate on biogenic
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fuels, while also improving water quality 56,57 and maintaining emissions regulations revolves around how to account for
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lands for timber production as an alternative to other emissions related to biomass production and use. The forest
socioeconomic options. Active biomass energy markets using carbon balance naturally changes over time and also depends
on forest management scenarios. For
Location of Potential Forestry Biomass Resources example, utilizing natural beetle-killed
forests will yield a different carbon
balance than growing and harvesting a
live, fast-growing plantation.

Markets for energy from biomass
appear to be ready to grow in
response to energy pricing, policy,
and demand, 44 although recent
increases in the supply of natural gas
have reduced the perceived urgency
for new biomass projects. Further,
because energy facilities typically buy
the lowest quality wood at prices that
rarely pay much more than cutting
and hauling costs, they often require
a viable saw timber market nearby to
ensure an adequate, low-cost supply
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of material. Where it is desirable to
remove dead wood after disturbances
to thin forests or to dispose of
residues, a viable bioenergy industry
could finance such activities. However,
Figure 7.7. Potential forestry bioenergy resources by 2030 at $80 per dry ton
of biomass based on current forest area, production rates based on aggressive the bioenergy market has yet to be
management for fast-growth, and short rotation bioenergy plantations. Units are made a profitable enterprise in most
oven dry tons (ODT) per square mile at the county level, where an ODT is 2,000 U.S. regions.
pounds of biomass from which the moisture has been removed. Includes extensive
material from existing forestland, such as residues, simulated thinnings, and some
pulpwood for bioenergy, among other sources. (Figure source: adapted from U.S.
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Department of Energy 2011 ).

182 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN THE UNITED STATES