Projecting Cropped Biomass Supplies: The Landowner Factor

Biomass Magazine
May 2010
By Dan Conable and Tim Volk

New York biomass study focuses on landowner choices and preferences in determining how much biomass can be grown and at what cost.

A reliable and affordable biomass supply is the starting point for any biofuel or bioenergy project. Although the level of detail in biomass supply shed assessments has increased in recent years, all the standard approaches ignore an essential element—the opinions and preferences of the people who own and make decisions about the land.

Understanding a Local Biomass Supply Shed
When Ray Cross, president of Morrisville State College, undertook a comprehensive review of energy use by his school’s central New York campus, a biomass-fueled heat and power plant was an obvious option. “It fits our tradition as an agricultural college, and also our educational strategy of exposing students to the challenges of implementing new technologies in real-world settings,” Cross says.

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