Bioenergy is one of many diverse resources available to help meet our demand for energy. It is a form of renewable energy that is derived from recently living organic materials known as biomass, which can be used to produce transportation fuels, heat, electricity, and products.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s 2016 Billion-Ton Report: Advancing Domestic Resources for a Thriving Bioeconomy concluded that the United States has the potential to produce 1 billion dry tons of non-food biomass resources annually by 2040 and still meet demands for food, feed, and fiber. One billion tons of biomass could:
Produce up to 50 billion gallons of biofuels
Yield 50 billion pounds of bio-based chemicals and bioproducts
Generate 85 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to power 7 million households
Contribute 1.1 million jobs to the U.S. economy
Keep $260 billion in the United States.