Home : Bio-Energy : Biomass to Bio-Energy
Biomass to Bio-Energy
Forest & Agriculture Residues
Industrial Waste
According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the term "biomass" means
any plant derived organic matter available on a renewable basis, including dedicated
energy crops and trees, agricultural food and feed crops, agricultural crop wastes
and residues, wood wastes and residues, aquatic plants, animal wastes, municipal
wastes, and other waste materials.
The DOE promotes biomass as a tremendous opportunity to use domestic and sustainable
resources to provide its fuel, power, and chemical needs from plants and plant-derived
materials.
DOE Supports Renewable Energy
The Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Biomass Program, run by the Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, includes major programs for developing and
improving technology for biomass power; for making Biofuels such as ethanol (from
biomass residues as well as grain) and renewable diesel; and for making plastics
and chemicals from renewable, bio-based materials.
The EPA states, "American dependence on foreign energy sources and subsequent security
issues, development of technologies that aid in transitioning to a hydrogen energy
economy; the introduction of technologies that can respond to future legislation
constraining the release of carbon oxides, and the enhancement of rural power production,"
as reasons for industry to explore the Biofuels.