Potential competition for biomass between biopower and biofuel under RPS and RFS2

Abstract

Driven by Renewable Portfolio Standards and Renewable Fuel Standard, biopower generation and biofuel production will increasingly compete for the same biomass resource over the next two decades. We use a linear programming model to study this competition as well as other interactions between the two policies. Our model describes the U.S. renewable energy portfolio by explicitly accounting for all major renewable energy resources, unique resource availability and policy requirements in all 50 states and Washington, DC, and policy deadlines set by all RPS and RFS2 policies within a 2013–2035 modeling horizon. Our modeling results were used to address five important questions regarding interactions between RPS and RFS2 and the impact on U.S. renewable energy portfolio.