Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Thursday, January 27, 2011

BCAP Relaunch Should Bring New Biomass Producers into the Supply Chain

Biomass Power & Thermal
By Daniel Simon and Tom Kimmerer January 25, 2011

The redesigned Biomass Crop Assistance Program may have some shortcomings when it comes to funding and longevity, but it still provides significant opportunities for making new biomass materials economically viable for energy production.

The wait is finally over. The USDA has relaunched the Biomass Crop Assistance Program and is once again accepting applications from biomass conversion facilities (BCFs), including biomass power and thermal plants.

The redesigned program substantially reduces the list of eligible fuels, imposes new and complex rules, and may have limited funding and longevity. Despite these changes, the updated BCAP presents strong opportunities for conversion facilities to gain access to new fuel sources and to build more robust supply chains. A solid understanding of the new rules and administrative procedures is essential for conversion facilities and producers to benefit fully.

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