Overview – Individual states need to assess their biomass energy resources in order to compare and determine the best local approaches. Feedstock options include agricultural crops (sugars/starches), ag and forest residues
(lignocellulosic materials), bio-oil (beans/oils), municipal solid waste or other wastes from animals, wastewater or landfill gas.
This presentation demonstrates how one state developed a detailed biomass inventory and compared net energy balances among the various choices in taking a science-based approach.
Keywords: bio-energy feedstocks, biomass energy, agricultural fuels, municipal waste, landfill gas
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About Dave Specca
David Specca has worked for the past twelve years on small and large scale bioenergy projects at the Rutgers
EcoComplex. His activities include identifying, demonstrating and promoting appropriate renewable energy technologies. Currently, his projects include working on technologies in landfill gas cleanup and utilization, microturbine co-generation, anaerobic digestion, ethanol production, biodiesel, and biomass pyrolysis. As part of the environmental business development activities of the EcoComplex, Dave is a member of the NJ Business
Incubator Network, Board member of the Rutgers Energy Institute, and Co-chair of the Clean Energy Alliance, a nationwide network of clean energy incubator facilities. He also directs the activities of a one-acre hydroponic vegetable and aquaculture greenhouse facility powered by two landfill gas to energy technologies. He was part of the NJAES team that produced the “Assessment of Biomass Energy Potential in NJ” and has written a paper looking at crop based bioenergy in NJ, “Opportunities for Agricultural-based Bioenergy in New Jersey, a case study of switchgrass and field corn”.
Link to the Rutgers EcoComplex

Why are solid waste materials incorporated with farm produced biomass in NJ? a) It increases the amount of material that is available b) It is economical c) It decreases the amount of material that is available d) Both a and b e) None of the above
What kinds of waste materials will be treated with an anaerobic digester before use? a) Bio oils (too boost the production of biomethane) b) Wet ( a landfill is a crude anaerobic digester) c) Animal Waste (needs to be dried down before using it as a solid fuel) d) Usually wet waste materials get treated with an anaerobic digester e) All of the above
The best way to describe a Marginal Soil is: a) Slopy b) Drought prone c) Wet d) All of the above e) Actually, none of the above because Marginal Soils are high quality
How much biomass can be produced on as little as 30,000 acres (less than 17% of the NJ marginal farmland)? a) 8,000 Gwh/year b) 187 GWh/year c) 30,000 Gwh/year d) No biomass can be produced with that little farmland
Which of the following is not one of the five categories of biomass resources based on their physical characteristics? a) Sugars/Starches b) Bio-oils c) Fossil Fuels d) Solid Wastes
Which NJ county has the most acreage of prime farmland? a) Burlington b) Salem c) Camden d) Sussex
Traditional agricultural crops suitable for fermentation using first generation technologies are called a) Bio-oils b) Other wastes c) Sugars/starches d) Solid wastes e) sugar/starches
Types of crops that NJ sees as immediate potentials for producing energy are a) Corn grain, switchgrass, soybeans

b) Switchgrass, corn stover, string beans c) Corn grain, corn stover, alpha alpha d) Corn grain, corn stover, switch grass
Biomass resources can be classified into 5 categories. Which one of these is NOT a category? a) Sugars/starches b) c)
Solid waste
Liquid d) e)
Bio-oils
Other wastes
Lignocellulosic biomass can be used to fuel… a) Boilers b) c)
Transportation
Factories d) e)
A and B
B and C
How much of New Jersey’s biomass resource is produced by the state’s population? a) b)
40%
10% c) d)
75%
60%
What is the second largest source of biomass energy in NJ? a) bio-oil b) Agricultural sources c) Waste d) None of the above
Which biomass resources have the highest net usable percentage? a) Agricultural crop residuals b) Sugar/starch based crops c) Livestock waste
Which biomass resources have the lowest net usable percentage? a) Agricultural crop residuals b) Sugar/starch based crops c) Livestock waste
Which category of biomass resource is most likely to be converted into a transportation fuel such as ethanol? a) Solid Wastes b) Bio-oils c) Sugars/Starches d) Other Wastes
Which three crops are viewed as having the biggest potential for producing biomass energy in NJ? a) corn stover, rye, soybeans b) switchgrass, potatoes, corn grain c) corn grain, soybeans, and switchgrass

d) corn grain, corn stover, and switchgrass
Which of the following is a potential problem of using NJ’s biomass for energy? a) It will not help the state of NJ dispose of solid waste b) Growing crops for fuel might take away space needed to plant food crops c) It cannot be accomplished without destruction of some of the state’s forests d) It will create a deficit in the state economy
One of the problems with using animal waste as a biomass that could be converted to energy is: a) There are too many potential contaminants and disease agents in the substance b) Most animal wastes are too high in nitrogen to make good fuels c) It is too wet to be used as is and needs to be dried down d) Animal waste does not make up a significant enough percentage to be considered for e) this use
Which of the following is not an example of a biomass that could be used as bioenergy? a) Solid waste b) Dead trees c) corn oil d) recycled plastic bottles
The input % of total biomass for corn is approximately: a) 17% b) 13% c) 5% d) 3%
Almost ___% of NJ’s biomass is produced by the state’s population, much in the form of ____________. a) a.90%; municipal solid waste b) b.90%; Lignocellulosic Biomass c) c.75%; municipal solid waste d) d.75%; Lignocellulosic Biomass
Which one of these are not considered “bio oils” a) Canola oil b) Gasoline c) Soybean oil d) Animal fats
What is the best land to grow bioenergy crops? a) Prime farm land b) Marginal land c) Big land d) Warm land
Marginal soils are characterized as

a) Drought prone b) wet c) slopey d) all the above
Agriculture and _________ management can provide an important source of biomass: a) farming b) forestry c) oceanography d) health
The crops/biomass feedstocks that have the most potential are: a) Corn grain b) Corn stover c) Switchgrass d) All of the above
Which of the following is not one of the 5 physical characteristic categories of biomass? a) Sugars/starches b) Bio-oils c) Solid waste d) Fat based
Which of the following groups of materials would fall under the lignocellulosic biomass category (5 physical characteristic categories of biomass)? a) Agricultural crops and food processing residues b) Agricultural residues, food processing residues, forest residues, and urban wood waste c) Recycled materials, non-recycled paper, food wastes, and municipal solid waste d) Animal waste, wastewater treatment biogas, and landfill gas
Which county in NJ has the most amount of acres of Farmland of Statewide Importance (marginal soils, potentially best for bioenergy production)? a) Hunterdon County b) Union County c) Ocean County d) Cape May County
Which of the following is not one of the 3 biomass feed stocks that is seen as having the most immediate potential? a) Corn Grain b) Corn stover c) Alfalfa hay d) Switchgrass
What percentage of NJ’s biomass resource is produced directly by the state’s population, much of it in the form of municipal solid waste?

a) 80% b) 52% c) 75% d) 91%
On as little as 30.000 acres of the NJ marginal farmland, enough biomass can be produced from which potential to supply at least two 20 MW power plants or gasification systems? a) switchgass b) corn stover c) sunflowers d) corn grain
What can be combined with bioenery crops to improve economies of scale and profitability? a) biodiesel b) switchgrass c) biofuel d) waste
Almost ________ of New Jersey’s biomass resource is produced directly by state’s population, much in form of municipal solid waste. a) 90% b) 15% c) 35% d) 75% e) None of the Above
The 3 crops that have immediate potential to produce bioenergy are corn grain, corn stover, and __________. a) strawberries b) wheat c) tomato plant d) switchgrass

The best way to conserve prime farmland that is very good at growing food crops and hay for animals, while continuing bioenergy production on farms is to use marginal farmland instead. TRUE
Bio-Oils are traditional edible oil crops and waste oils suitable for conversion to biodiesel. TRUE
The leading source of biomass in NJ is solid waste. TRUE
Crop residues are an over utilized and overvalued source of biomass. FALSE
New Jersey needs well over 30,000 acres of biomass from switchgrass to produce at least two 20 MW power plants.
FALSE
Almost 75% of NJ’s biomass resource is produced directly by the state’s organic farmers. FALSE
Feedstock types can be divided into 4 main categories based on their physical characteristics. FALSE
The 5 categories of biomass resources are sugars/starches, lignocellulosic biomass, bio-oils, solid wastes, and other wastes. TRUE
Sweet corn, rye, and alfalfa hay are examples of starch/sugar based agricultural crops. FALSE
Landfill gas can be considered a lignocellulosic biomass. FALSE
45% of NJ's biomass resource is produced directly by the state's population. FALSE
On as little as 30,000 acres, enough biomass can be produced from switchgrass to supply at least two 20 MW power plants (approx. 187 GWH/yr). TRUE
Wheat, rye, alfalfa hay, and sorghum are all sugar/starch based agricultural crops. FALSE
The majority of NJ’s biomass resource comes from the form of municipal solid waste. TRUE
Waste oils, fat and grease are one of few recourse that generate Bio-oils. TRUE
Agriculture and forestry management are important sources of biomass. TRUE
Biomass from agriculture sources include only crops. FALSE
75% of NJ’s biomass resource is produced by the state population. TRUE
Biogas and landfill gas are biomass waste, which generally separate from the solid waste stream. TRUE
True or false – Lignocellulosic biomass include urban wood and yard wastes. TRUE
40,000 acres is equivalent to less than 17% of NJ’s farmland. FALSE
Soy bean is the current feed stock to produce oil? TRUE
Wax cardboard is considered a solid waste? TRUE

Agriculture and forestry management are important sources of biomass, and account for the majority of the remaining amount of biomass after solid waste? TRUE
Almost 60% of NJ’s biomass resources are produced directly by the state’s population? FALSE
Around 922,000,000 tons of biomass is produced per year? TRUE
Bio oils are a type of feedstock that is traditionally edible oil crops and waste oils suitable for conversion to bio diesel.
TRUE
Approximately 25% of New Jersey’s biomass resource is produced directly by the states population, much of it in the form of solid waste. FALSE
The three-biomass feedstock’s that are interpreted to have the most immediate effects include corn grain, corn Stover, and switch grass.: True
Almost 50% of New Jersey’s biomass resource is produced directly by the state’s population, much of it in the form of municipal solid waste. False.
Wax cardboard is considered solid waste. True
True or False: Approximately 1/3 of NJ’s tillable land is marginal soil. True
Agricultural residues and Urban wood wastes are both types of Lignocellulosic Biomass. True
There are 5 different categories of biomass resources.. True
Corngrain, cornstover, and switch grass are insufficient crops for biomass resources. false
Sugars and starches can be converted into transportation fuels such as ethanol. True
Biomass from agricultural sources include crops but NOT crop residues. False.
NJ has large quantities of biomass from waste. This can be combined with bioenergy crops to improve economies of scale and profitability. True
Sugars and starches can be converted into fuel for automobiles. TRUE
Almost 50% of NJ biomass resource is produced directly by the states population, majority of it is in the form of solid waste. FALSE
Soybean is currently a potential feedstock for biodiesel. True
The use of energy crops (i.e. corn) should NOT be considered when thinking about the global implications especially on the world economy. False
Farmlands of Statewide importance are lands that would be best for bioenergy production. True.
The energy inputs for corn grain are higher than corn stover and switchgrass due to fertilizer. True
Less than 17 % of NJ farmland is not enough to run 2 20 MW power plants. False
1/3 of tillable land is marginal soils. TRUE

The feedstock type bio-oils, are traditional edible oil crops and waste oils that are not suitable for conversion to biodiesel. False
The three main crops/ biomass feed stocks for immediate biomass energy potential are: corn grain, legumes and switchgrass. false:
Crop residues are not included for biomass from agricultural sources. False
About 75% of NJ’s biomass resources are in the form of municipal solid waste. True
Agriculturally produced bio waste is about 4,000,000 tons dry weight/year. False
Bio-oils are produced from edible oil crops and waste oils suitable for conversion into biogas. False
Sugars are often converted into transportational fuels such as ethanol. True

What are the top 3 biomass feed stocks that have immediate potential for bioenergy production?
Answer: Corn grain, Corn stover, Switch grass
Question: What type of feedstock is primarily lignocellulosic biomass, but that may be contaminated or comingled with other biomass types? Answer: Solid Wastes
Question: Which feedstock type is the traditional edible oil crop and waste oil considered suitable for conversion to biodiesel? Answer: Bio-oils

Name and describe the 5 categories of biomass resources.
The first category consists of the starches and sugars. These agricultural crops are suitable for fermentation using first generation technologies. The second category of biomass resources is lignocellulosic biomass. This consists of clean woody herbaceous materials made from other sources. The third category contains bio-oils. These are traditional edible oils and waste oils that can be converted into biodiesel. The fourth category holds the solid wastes. These are mainly contaminated biomass. The fifth and final category contain the other wastes. These are any other biomass wastes that do not fall into the solid waste category, including landfill gas and biogas.
What are the 5 major categories of biomass resources in NJ and describe their physical characteristics:
Here are important five farm feedstock: Sugars and starches from agricultural crop are made in to transportation fuel like ethanol. Important resources are lignocellulosic biomass can be made into transportation fuel as well fuel for boilers; but it is not yet economically feasible to use this. Bio-oils compromise another part of the biomass resources – they are produced on farms from soybeans and animal fats that are rendered into oils. Some animal oils are included in anaerobic digester to increase the production of biomethane. Solid waste such as Food waste is another huge group; even municipal solid waste and waxed cardboard that would be considered as solid waste. “Other wastes” compromise the last part of this group; they include animal waste and landfill gas. Animal waste would have to be dried down.
Anaerobic digesters would be the favorable technology of choice; they are used in waste treatment plants already.
Discuss several reasons to push for energy productions on NJ farms.
Firstly, solid waste is an already existing viable biomass resource. Specca states that about 75% of NJ’s biomass resources are produced from solid waste. This means that solid waste bio-energy is available year round, is already included into a program where it is collected and transported to a centralized location and has a price on getting rid of it.
These advantages make it easy to utilize a solid waste project by making it compatible with farm-based projects.
Secondly, there is about 922,000 tons dry weight/year of agricultural produced biomass. This is a lot of biomass that can be used for fuel. For instance, corn grain alone is responsible for 108,000 tons of dry weight/year. Thirdly, bio-energy can become more attractive to farmers with a marginal farm land-incentive. This includes using a portion of farmland to grown bio-energy crops that will not interfere with mainland crops. All in all, using switchgrass, corn grain and corn stover alone can potentially supply a sufficient amount of electricity. When combining their biomass potential with the already existing large quantities of biomass from waste, it can ultimately provide a promising economic and energy efficient future.
State and describe the 2 different types/classes of farmland.
The 2 different classes of farmland are Prime farmland and Marginal Farmland. Prime farmland is used to grow profitable crops such as fruits and vegetables. Marginal Farmland, also known as farmland of statewide importance, is considered class type 2 soil. This land is usually slopey, drought prone, or wet soils. Marginal farmland is best used for bioenergy production.
Essay: What would be the best crop to utilize for bioenery? And Why?
The best crop to use for bio-energy purposes is corn. There are many variations of corn such as corn grain, corn stover that yield a lot of energy. Corn grain is very dense so there is a lot of biomass energy used per ton of corn. Inputs for energy are much higher which can be attributed to fertilizers and other factors. Corn grain produces about 115 bushels per acre. Corn stover can be used from existing corn fields and utilized for energy. Corn is a crop that takes little of the

land in to how much it yields in energy. It is a crop we can use now and see the most immediate results in terms of energy it will produce.
Describe two reasons why using land for bio-energy crops is controversial.
Planting bio-energy crops for use as bio-fuel is controversial because it diverts land from being used as food crops. It is controversial from both a consumer’s stand-point and from a farmer’s stand-point. When crops that are typically used as food are used instead as biomass, the cost of the crop in the grocery store can increase. For example, when ethanol became a popular bio-energy crop the price of corn increased significantly. People complained that they could no longer afford to purchase the food they were used to surviving on. To the farmer, bio-energy crops are often less profitable than other crops that could be planted on their land. Therefore, there is little incentive for the farmer to plant the bioenergy crop.
What potentials exist for switchgrass and corn stover?
Enough biomass can be produced from switchgrass to supply at least two twenty MW power plants or gasification systems. Another 60,000 dry tons per year of corn stover biomass can be harvested from existing corn fields. Lastly,
New Jersey has a large quantity of biomass from waste. This can be combined with bioenergy crops to improve economies of scale and profitability
What are some of the ways that bioenergy production could help with some agricultural and environmental problems in NJ?
The most obvious answer to this question is that producing bioenergy would serve as an environmentally friendly way to power our way of like. We would be utilizing preexisting resources,for fuel and getting a potentially less expensive source of power out of it. There are several other ways that producing bioenergy from NJ’s biomass could be of use. First is that it could serve the purpose of waste disposal. By using crop residues or animal wastes, it would keep farmers from having to find a way to dispose of these things. It would also prevent environmentally detrimental disposal of these things. In additional to animal waste, municipal solid waste can also be used as a bioenergy source. This accounts for over 75% of the states potential energy use biomass and would not only provide a lot of resource to work with but could reduce the problems associated with having that much waste. Biomass from forest management could also be recycled in this fashion. Finally, the planting of crops that could potentially produce energy would be a way to put some of NJ’s marginal farmland (i.e. poor soil quality, too wet, too dry, etc.) into practical use. This way more land would be used for agriculture and there would be an energy benefit even though the land might not produce maximum yields.
Explain the potentials of both switch grass and corn stover.
Switch grass and corn stover are two feedstocks that are considered to have the highest immediate impact when applied. Because of this fact, they both have extremely high potentials when it comes to biomass. Switch grass and corn stover are only present on 17% of our marginal farmland. This is equivalent to approximately 30,000 acres. Even so, this amount can supply 20MW power plants or grasslands. Additionally, another 60,00 dry tons of corn stover biomass can be harvested from existing corn fields. New Jersey’s large quantity of biomass from waste can be combined with bioenergy crops to improve economies of scale and profitability.
Should America start to use bioenergy feedstocks from NJ Farms? What are the benefits?
Yes, it should be used because it can help for electricity or transportation fuel. The benefits that come from using
Switchgrass and corn Stover is that enough biomass can be produced from it to supply at least two 220MW power plants or gasification systems. (This is approximately 187 GWh/yr) New Jersey has a large quantities of biomass from waste, and using this natural biomass can help improve economies of scale and profitability
How switchgrass and Corn Stover can be helpful to produce biomass?

According to this presentation 30,000 acres, which is 17% of NJ marginal farmland, if we grow switchgrass on it, it would produce two 20 MW power plants and gasification system which is approximately 187 GW/year. 60,000 dry tons per year of corn Stover can produce 88 GW/year.
Name, define and list the resources of at least 2 biomass resource categories
1) Lignocellulosic biomass 2) Clean wood/plant materials from numerous sources. 3) Yard wastes, wood wastes, agricultural residues, cellulosic energy crops, and forest residues
Bio- oils 2) edible oil crops and waste oils suitable to conversion to biodiesel. 3) Agricultural crops, waste oils/grease/fat.
Why might biomass energy obtained from agricultural crops not be such a good idea?
ANSWER - If biomass fuel derived from agricultural crops and residues become popular, there is a risk that more land will be dedicated to the production of these crops. This results in less land for animal habitats, man-made structures
(houses, malls, parking lots, etc.) and most importantly, less land on which to grow food.
Why are agriculture and forestry management important sources of biomass?
Agriculture and forestry management account for the majority of the remaining amount of biomass after solid waste.
Other agricultural sources include crops and crop residues. Crops and crop residues provide energy production for the current food supply chain. They are needed to maintain the current crop varieties and introduce new crops that may be useful for an improved process of energy production.
Why are agriculture and forestry management important sources of biomass?
Aiculture and forestry management account for the majority of the remaining amount of biomass after solid waste.
Biomass from agricultural sources includes both crops and crop residues. The use of agricultural crops for energy production would require the decision to convert the current food supply chain into energy production. Crop residues are generally underutilized and undervalued, but could also help significantly with biomass. NJ currently has a set of crop varieties that are suited to energy production, but with the advancement of research, further crops may be used to better produce biomass. As of now, nearly 75% of the biomass resources come from the states municipal solid waste. If the state chooses to increase the amount of energy crops, which would mean a reduction in food supply chain crops, could significantly increase our source of biomass.
Please Discuss 3 of the 5 feedstock types, including their definition and resources.
Lignocellulosic Biomasses are clean woody and herbaceous materials from a variety of sources which include clean urban biomasses that are generally collected separately from the municipal waste stream (wood from the urban forest, yard waste, used pallets). Its resources include agricultural residues, cellulosic energy crops, food processing residues, forest residues, mill residues, urban wood wastes, and yard wastes
Solid wastes are primarily lignocellulosic biomass, but may be contaminated (i.e C&D wood) or comingled with other biomass types. Its resources include municipal solid waste (biomass component), construction & demolition (C&D) wood, food wastes, non‐recycled paper, and recycled materials.
Bio oils are traditional edible oil crops and waste oils suitable for conversion to biodiesel. Its resources include agricultural crops (beans/oils) and waste oils/fats/grease.
Briefly explain why the use of agricultural crops as a means of energy production is a controversial issue. Is there another way to utilize agricultural crops to produce energy?
The use of agricultural crops as a means of energy production is a controversial practice because the diversion of the food supply to the production of energy drives up food costs. As more food is used to produce energy, less food is available for consumption. This causes a shortage of certain crops, a major factor in price hikes. A prime example of this phenomenon is the recent price spike in corn tortillas in Mexico. Corn tortillas are a staple food in Mexico, and their

increased cost has become a major political controversy. The increased quantity of corn used to produce ethanol has driven up the price of corn, causing the price of tortillas to skyrocket. Price hikes have caused a lot of unrest amongst consumers, posing significant challenges for politicians that wish to promote the use of bioenergy. The use of crop residues to produce energy is an excellent alternative to this dilemma. Crop residues are an undervalued and under utilized source of bioenergy, and do not require the conversion of the food supply.
List all the five types of feedstock, and describe each one.
There are five types of opportunistic feedstocks that can be used to produce bioenergy for electricity and transportation.
The first is sugars and starches. These crops are traditional agricultural crops and are suitable for fermentation using first generation technologies. They can be converted to transportation fuels. The second is lingocellulosic biomass. It consists of woody and herbaceous materials from a variety of sources. It includes clean urban biomass that is collected separately from a municipal waste stream such as wood from the forest, yard waste, and used pellets. The third is bio oils, which are traditional edible oil crops and waste oil suitable for conversion to biodiesel. Soybeans are the current potential feedstock for biodiesel. Additionally, animal fats can be made into diesel. The fourth is solid wastes, primarily comprised of lignocellulosic biomass, but that may be contaminated or mixed with other biomass types. Some solid wastes may include food wastes, no recycled paper, and other recycled materials. The fifth is other wastes that are generally separate from the solid waste stream. These include biogas and landfill gas, waste that will get treated with an anaerobic digester.