Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T08:37:32.488Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Economic Competitiveness of Bioenergy Production and Effects on Agriculture of the Southern Region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2016

Burton C. English
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Daniel G. De La Torre Ugarte
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Marie E. Walsh
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Chad Hellwinkel
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Jamey Menard
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Abstract

The economic competitiveness of biobased industries is discussed by comparing the South relative to other regions of the United States and biomass as a feedstock source relative to fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. An estimate of the biomass resource base is provided. Estimated changes in the agricultural sector over time resulting from the development of a large-scale biobased industry are reported, and a study on the potential to produce electricity from biomass compared with coal in the southern United States is reviewed. A biobased industry can increase net farm income and enhance economic development and job creation.

Type
Invited Paper Sessions
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

California Energy Commission. Costs and Benefits of a Biomass to Ethanol Production Industry in California. Commission Report No. P500-01-002, 2001.Google Scholar
De La Torre Ugarte, D.G., Ray, D.E., and Tiller, K.H.. “Using the POLYS YS Modeling Framework to Evaluate Environmental Impacts in Agriculture.” Evaluating Natural Resource Use in Agriculture. Robertson, T., English, B.C., and Alexander, R.R., eds. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1998.Google Scholar
De La Torre Ugarte, D.G., Walsh, M.E., Shapouri, H., and Slinsky, S.P.. The Economic Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Production on U.S. Agriculture. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist, Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, Agricultural Economic Report No. 816, 2003.Google Scholar
Delucchi, M.A. A Revised Model of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from the Use of Transportation Fuels and Electricity. University of California-Davis, Institute of Transportation Studies UCD-ITS-RR-97-22,1997.Google Scholar
English, B., Menard, J., and La, D. Ugarte, Torre. “Using Corn Stover for Ethanol Production: A Look at the Regional Economic Impacts for Selected Midwestern States.” University of Tennessee, Department of Agricultural Economics, 2001. Internet site: http://web.utk.edu/~aimag/pubimpact.html (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
English, B.C., Ugarte, D. La Torre, Menard, J., Hellwinkel, C., and Walsh, M.. “An Economic Analysis of Producing Switchgrass and Crop Residues for Use as a Bio-Energy Feedstock.” University of Tennessee, Department of Agricultural Economics, Research Series 02-04, 2004.Google Scholar
Graham, R.L., English, B.C., and Noon, C.E.. “A Geographic Information System-based Modeling System for Evaluating the Cost of Delivered Energy Crop Feedstock.Biomass and Bio-energy 18(April 2000):309–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hadley, S., and Hirst, E.. ORCED: A Model to Simulate the Operations and Costs of Bulk-Power Markets. Oak Ridge, TN: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL/CON-464, 1998.Google Scholar
House, R., Peters, M., Baumes, H., and Disney, W.. Ethanol and Agriculture—Effect of Increased Production on Crop and Livestock Sectors. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Economic Resource Service, Agricultural Economic Report No. 667, 1993.Google Scholar
Mann, M.K., and Spath, P.L.. “Life Cycle Assessment of Biomass Cofiring in a Coal-Fired Power Plant.Clean Products and Processes 3(August 2001a):8191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mann, M.K., and Spath, P.L.. Life Cycle Assessment of Biomass Cofiring in a Coal-Fired Power Plant. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NICH Report No. 29457, 2001b.Google Scholar
McLaughlin, S., Ugarte, D.G. De La Torre, Garten, C.T., Lynd, L.R., Sanderson, M.A., Tolbert, V.R., Walsh, M.E., and Wolf, D.D.. “High-Value Renewable Energy from Prairie Grasses.Environmental Science and Technology 36(May 2002), 2122–29.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, R.G.Resource Assessment and Removal Analysis for Corn Stover and Wheat Straw in the Eastern and Midwestern United States— Rainfall and Wind-Induced Soil Erosion Methodology.Biomass and Bioenergy 22(May 2002):349–63.Google Scholar
Noon, C.E., and Daly, M.J.. “GIS-based Biomass Resource Assessment with BRAVO.Biomass and Bioenergy 10(February 1996): 101–9.Google Scholar
Perlack, R., Wright, L., Turhollow, A., Grahm, R., Stokes, B., and Erbach, D.. Biomass as a Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy/U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Technical Information Service, 2005.Google Scholar
Petrulis, M., Sommer, J., and Hines, F.. Ethanol Production and Employment. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Economic Resource Service, Agricultural Information Bulletin No. 678, 1993.Google Scholar
Shapouri, H., Duffield, J.A., and Wang, M.. The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist, Agricultural Economic Report No. 813, 2002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheehan, J., Paustian, K., and Walsh, M.. “Is Ethanol from Corn Stover Sustainable—A Case Study in Cyber Farming.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Indianapolis, IN, November 3-8, 2002.Google Scholar
Sheehan, J.J., Duffield, J.A., Coulon, R.B., and Camobreco, V.J.. “Life-Cycle Assessment of Biodiesel versus Petroleum Diesel Fuel.” 31st Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference Proceedings, 1996, pp. 21402143.Google Scholar
Systems Applications International, Inc. Air Quality Impacts of Ethanol in California Gasoline. Internet site: http://www.efhanolrfa.org/resource/reports/view.php?id=77 (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
Urbanchuk, J.M. An Economic Analysis of Legislation for a Renewable Fuels Requirement for Highway Motor Fuels. AUS Consultants, Moorestown, NJ, November 7, 2001.Google Scholar
U.S. Congress, House of Representatives and Senate. Energy Policy Act of 2005. Washington, DC: H.R.6, 109th Congress, 4 January 2005. Internet site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h6enr.txt.pdf (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
(USDA-OCE) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist. Economic Analysis of Replacing MTBE with Ethanol in the U.S. Report to Senator Harkin, January 1, 2000. Internet site: http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/gen/20020826_gen335.pdf (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
(USDA-OCE) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Economist. Effects on the Farm Economy of a Renewable Fuels Standard for Motor Vehicle Fuel. Report to Senator Harkin, August 1, 2002. Internet site: http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/reportsdatabase/reports/gen/20020826_gen335.pdf (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
(USDOE) U.S. Department of Energy. Vision for Bioenergy and Biobased Products in the United States. U.S. Biomass Research and Development Advisory Committee, October 2002. Internet site: http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/pdfs/BioVision_03_Web.pdf (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
(USDOE-EIA) U.S. Department of Energy-Energy Information Administration. Analysis of Strategies for Reducing Multiple Emissions from Electric Power Plants: Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Dioxide and Mercury, and a Renewable Portfolio Standard. Washington, DC: SR/OIAF/2001-03, 2001a.Google Scholar
(USDOE-EIA) U.S. Department of Energy-Energy Information Administration. Annual Energy Outlook 2002. DOE/EIA-0383, December 2001b. Internet site: www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/anal_modeling.html (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
(USDOE-EIA) U.S. Department of Energy-Energy Information Administration. Analysis of a 10-percent Renewable Portfolio Standard. Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, May 2003. Internet site: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/rps2/pdf/sroiaf(2003)01.pdf (Accessed January 10, 2006).Google Scholar
Walsh, M.E., Perlack, R.L., Turhollow, A., Ugarte, D. De La Torre, Becker, D.A., Graham, R.L., Slinsky, S.E., and Ray, D.E.. “Biomass Feedstock Availability in the United States.” Unpublished Oak Ridge National Laboratory Report, Oak Ridge, TN, April 1999 and updated January 2000.Google Scholar
Walsh, M.E., Ugarte, D. De La Torre, Shapouri, H., and Slinsky, S.P.. “The Economic Impacts of Bioenergy Crop Production on U.S. Agriculture.Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics 24(April 2003):313–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, M., Saricks, C., and Santini, D.. Effects of Fuel Ethanol use on Fuel-Cycle Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Washington, DC: Department of Energy/Argonne National Laboratory, ANL/ESD-38, 1999.Google Scholar