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The Department of Energy's National Biomass Coordination Office is updating the Biobased Fuels, Power, and Products State Profiles for 2002. This one-of-a-kind publication consists of 50 state fact sheets highlighting biomass-related activities in each state. In bringing this information together into 2-3 page fact sheets, the Coordination Office has given the public a valuable tool with which to gain knowledge on the status and potential of biomass at the local level. Each fact sheet includes estimated installed power capacity, biofuels production capacity, incentives to increase the use of biomass and federally funded research. Biomass resource data are also available.

In developing the profiles, data was collected from state, federal, and private data sources, as well as through research of over 1,600 facilities involved in the biopower, biofuels, or biobased products industries. This research reveals the important role of biomass technologies at the local level. Nationwide, an estimated 182,000 people are employed in biomass-related industries, with estimated sales of over $23 billion. There are more than 1,100 plants producing power from biomass sources with a total generation capacity over 10,000 MW. Helping to reduce dependence on foreign oil, there are over 346 facilities producing and distributing ethanol and biodiesel in the U.S. with the ability to produce over 2,700 million gallons a year of the renewable fuels.

In addition to providing economic data, the profiles contain information on biomass resources. From this data, one can see that the U.S. has abundant biomass feedstocks to fuel its emerging biobased industries. For example:

• In 2001, the U.S. produced about 9.5 billion bushels of corn, 2.9 billion bushels of soybeans, and 2 billion bushels of wheat. Top producers include Kansas, North Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
• There are approximately 8.7 billion head of poultry and 155 million livestock in the U.S. The waste streams produced by these animals can be put to productive use as biomass feedstocks.
• There are approximately 409 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) produced every year. The gas emitted from landfills containing MSW can be collected and used as an energy source.
• The U.S. has approximately 750 million acres of forestland. Forest thinnings and underbrush taken from this land can be used as a biomass feedstock, which also can reduce the level of fire risk.

The fact sheets also highlight biomass-related developments at the local level. For example:

• A biodiesel testing site was developed at Yellowstone Park in Idaho, at which biodiesel was tested successfully under the severe temperatures and high elevation present.
• In October of 2002, 58.3 percent of the gasoline sold in Iowa was an E10 blend.
• Florida is home to over 13,000 alternative fuel vehicles.
• Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA has switched from an all-electric heating system to one using waste woodchips to replace the 3.3-megawatt hours of electricity used for space heating and domestic hot water.
• In 2002, McChord Air Force Base in Washington celebrated the opening of an Alternative Fuels Service Station, which will supply ethanol and biodiesel to McChord's fleet of vehicles. So far, more than 400 vehicles are operating on these alternative fuels, representing more than 50% of the fleet at McChord.

Information on federally supported biomass-related R&D is also provided in each fact sheet. Currently there are over 900 federally supported R&D projects with over 300 organizations partnering on these projects. All the project details can be viewed over the Web, including project abstracts and funding information.

Check out these profiles at http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/ to gain more knowledge on the status of biomass in your state. They will be available the 15th of March.

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In 2000, more than 73,000 MWh of electricity generated in Missouri came from biomass sources.⁵ However, the state has the potential to generate about 28.4 million MWh of electricity using renewable biomass resources, enough energy to meet the annual needs of 2,840,000 average homes (or 110 percent of the residential electricity use in Missouri).⁶

Missouri currently generates biopower using landfill methane-to-energy facilities. Another fifteen landfills are untapped bioenergy sources. The state could also use more of its crop residues and wood waste to produce additional bioenergy.⁷

On March 6, 2003, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy, will sponsor a renewable energy conference (www.dnr.state.mo.us) entitled "Growing the Rural Economy with Renewable Energy: Windfarming and Bioenergy - New Crops for Missouri Farms" in the city of Columbia. The conference is intended for "Missouri farmers, citizens, community leaders, agricultural and environmental organizations, university staff, and state decision-makers"; its purpose is to "provide information and technical assistance, establish opportunities for peer-to-peer exchanges among diverse groups with a common interest in renewable energy and the rural economy, and develop action plans for development of Missouri's agriculturally based renewable energy resources."⁸

The Missouri Department of Agriculture offers a financial incentive to its state's ethanol producers: they can earn 20 cents a gallon for the first 12.5 million gallons they produce and 5 cents a gallon for the second 12.5 million gallons with a maximum reward of $3.125 million per year for five years.¹¹

Also, the Wood Energy Tax Credit awards "corporations processing Missouri forestry industry residues into fuels an income tax credit of $5.00 per ton of processed material." If the credit exceeds the amount of taxes due, the company can carry over the credit to another year for up to four years; the company can also choose to transfer the credit to a third party.¹²

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