1. What is Biomass?
2. What are the Technologies & Applications?
3. What is Utah’s Biomass Energy Potential? Does Utah Have Biomass Projects?
4. What are the Benefits?
5. What are the Challenges to Biomass Development?

1. What is Biomass?
Biomass is plant and animal materials that can be used to generate electricity and fuels. Biomass can be used for power generation in the electricity sector and for space heating in residential, and commercial buildings. Biomass can also be used directly in the manufacturing of a variety of products and be converted to liquid forms for use as transportation fuels. Learn more about biomass. 

2. What are the Technologies & Applications?

• Biopower - Biopower, or biomass power, is the use of biomass to generate electricity. Biopower system technologies include direct-firing, co-firing, gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion. (include document links from each word to corresponding sections below).
   
• Direct firing - Burning bioenergy feedstocks (i.e. wood, agricultural residues, animal wastes, etc) directly to produce steam. This steam drives a turbine, which turns a generator that converts the power into electricity. In some biomass industries, the spent steam from the power plant is also used for manufacturing processes or to heat buildings - known as combined heat and power systems - which greatly increase overall energy efficiency. Learn more about Combined Heat and Power.

• Co-firing - Co-firing is the mixing of biomass with fossil fuels in conventional power plants. Gasification systems use high temperatures and an oxygen-starved environment to convert biomass into synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The synthesis gas, or "syngas," can then be chemically converted into other fuels or products, burned in a conventional boiler, or used instead of natural gas in a gas turbine. They can be made to operate in a "combined cycle," in which their exhaust gases are used to boil water for steam, a second round of power generation.

• Gasification - Gasification systems use high temperatures and an oxygen-starved environment to convert biomass into a gas (a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane). The gas fuels an electric generator. Gasification, anaerobic digestion, and other biomass power technologies can be used in small, modular systems with internal combustion or other generators to provide electrical power to villages remote from the electrical grid.

• Pyrolysis - When biomass is heated in the absence of oxygen, the biomass turns into liquid called pyrolysis oil, which can be burned to generate electricity or used as a chemical source for making plastics, adhesives, or other bioproducts.

• Anaerobic digestion - Anaerobic digestion involves using bacteria to decompose organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Farms and ranches can use anaerobic digesters—also known as biodigesters—to recover methane (biogas) from animal manure for producing electricity, heat, and hot water. A biodigester usually requires manure from more than 150 large animals to cost effectively generate electricity. Learn more about Anaerobic Digestion.

• Landfill Gas to Energy - Landfill gas (LFG) is created as solid waste decomposes in a landfill; it is then captured, converted and used as an energy source. LFG consists of about 50 percent methane (CH4), the primary component of natural gas, about 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2), and a small amount of non-methane organic compounds. Landfill gas is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a blower/flare (or vacuum) system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be processed and treated depending upon the ultimate use for the gas. From this point, the gas can be simply flared or used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and manufacturing operations, fuel greenhouse operations, or be upgraded to pipeline quality gas. For more information on Landfill gas to Energy Projects, visit the USA EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program.
   
• Biofuels - Biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels, called "biofuels," to help meet transportation fuel needs. Ethanol, Cellulosic Ethanol, Methanol, Biodiesel, and Veggie Oil are examples of biofuels.

For more information on ethanol, biodiesel, and other biomass fuels, visit:

• Gas 2.0 - information, blogs, and news on the latest in biodiesel across the country
• US Dept. of Energy – Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory – Biofuels

3. What is Utah’s Biomass Energy Potential? Does Utah Have Biomass Projects?

• View Utah’s State Assessment for Biomass/Biofuels Potential.
• According to Western Resource Advocates’ Renewable Energy Atlas of the West, Utah’s biomass resource potential for electricity generation is approximately 1 million Megawatt-hours annually.
• As of 2006, Utah was producing 4,000 Megawatt-hours of electricity from Biomass. According to the Biomass Task Force Report from the Western Governor’s Association, biomass has the potential to supply 15,000 MW of electricity to the Western states by the year 2015. At a production cost of 8 cents per kWh, 10,000 MW could be provided.

4. What are the Benefits?

• Biomass energy systems have varied benefits, depending on the technology and application:
• Anaerobic Digestion Systems can provide farmers and ranchers with a viable means for reducing waste streams and generating on-site energy and/or fuels.
• Biomass projects can strengthen rural economies and in some cases provide additional income to farmers and ranchers.
• Biofuels can help reduce America's dependence on imported oil.
• Depending on the application and technology, biomass projects may reduce air and water pollution and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
• Using Landfill Gas (LFG) helps to reduce odors and other hazards associated with LFG emissions, and it helps prevent methane from migrating into the atmosphere and contributing to local smog and global climate change. For more information on Landfill gas to Energy Projects, visit the USA EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program.
• Reduced risks of destructive wildfires.ⁱⁱ
• Reduced consumption of landfill capacity.
• Air quality benefits due to reductions in open burning of agricultural and forest residues.
• Compared with coal, biomass feedstocks have lower levels of sulfur or sulfur compounds; substitution of biomass for coal in power plants can help reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Demonstration tests have shown that biomass co-firing with coal can also lead to lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.ⁱ
• Anaerobic digestion and biogas production can reduce overall operating costs where costs are high for sewage, agricultural, or animal waste disposal, and the effluent has economic value.
• Biomass energy production makes substantial contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by shifting the proportion of carbon emissions associated with biomass cycling away from more climate active forms, and by protecting forest biomass from destructive wildfires.
• Clean-burning technologies for wood fireplaces and stoves can help minimize particulate matter and air pollutants. For more information on wood stoves, visit the Environmental Protection Agency.

 5. What are the Challenges to Biomass Development?

• Cost of obtaining the feedstock
• Quantity of feedstock
• Transmission and distribution limitations
• High upfront capital costs
• Appropriateness of application
• Limitations related to water constraints

Energy Information Association. Biomass for Electricity Generation. URL: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/analysispaper/biomass/
Biomass Task Force Report – Western Governors’ Association. URL: http://www.westgov.org/wga/initiatives/cdeac/Biomass-summary.pdf