Sustainability

The Biomass Program is committed to developing biofuels that create a smaller environmental footprint than conventional fuels throughout their lifecycle-from biomass production to end use in vehicles. With our research partners, we are developing the resources, technologies, and systems needed to sustainably produce, harvest, transport, and convert a variety of biomass feedstocks. We honor our commitment to sustainability through our efforts to:

Improve understanding of regional climates, soil types, land use, and water issues as they relate to feedstock production
Support the development of diverse, non-food feedstocks that require less water and fertilizer than conventional feedstocks
Develop technology to efficiently harvest biomass while maintaining soil nutrients and limiting erosion
Foster sustainable forestry practices to enhance forest health
Evaluate environmental impacts of emerging biomass conversion technology and biofuel delivery infrastructure
Determine life-cycle impacts of a major scale-up in biofuels production, from feedstocks to end-use in vehicles, addressing:
- land use, habitat preservation, and soil health
- water use and quality
- air quality
- impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Understand the relationship between bioenergy production and all aspects of sustainability, including economic, social, and environmental issues

Our Vision

A viable, sustainable, domestic biofuels industry that:

Produces renewable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower
Enhances U.S. energy security
Reduces our dependence on oil
Provides environmental benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Creates economic opportunities across the nation

Current Program Activities

Water - Performing comparative life-cycle analyses (LCA) of water requirements for the production of advanced biofuels, corn ethanol, sugar cane ethanol, and competing petroleum fuels

Feedstock production - Conducting in-field studies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Sun Grant Initiative universities, and other regional partners to determine the best locations for energy crops; developing tool to identify the amount of corn stover that should be left on the field to maintain healthy soil

Indirect land use - Developing quantitative models of international land use changes associated with increased biofuels production to be included in life-cycle analyses

Biodiversity - Working with Conservation International to:

Identify land that should not be developed into biofuel crops
Conduct pilot studies to identify the best lands for biofuel crop production
Employ standards for biofuel crop production to maintain biodiversity