Biomass
As a renewable energy, it is
biological material from living
or once living organisms.
Biomass can be used directly
as energy or converted into
energy products such as
biofuel. Biomass is plant
matter used to generate
electricity with steam turbines
and gasifiers, most often by
direct combustion .
Examples of
useable material
for biomass:
forest residue
(such as dead
trees, branches
and tree
stumps), yard
clippings, wood
chips, and solid
municipal waste.
Current investment
New York’s investment:
New York has the
resources and
technology to utilize
biomass as an
energy source. The
only obstacles are the
creation of new plants
to harness biomass
electricity.
U.S. current
investment:
The U.S. has a
large and growing
amount of wood and
wood by-products. To
turn all that into
useable energy is a
very practical and
green method of
providing energy for
the country.
Should we invest in this energy?
It’s a good idea to invest in
biomass energy. It is a highly
green method of energy
production and a very possible
green energy alternative for
the U.S.
Number of Active biomass plants
22
Biomass is 3.3 percent of current
U.S. energy production
Why biomass should be used
more than alternatives
• Made locally with minimal cost so there
isn’t a need for long pipelines.
• Converts waste into fuel
• CO2 neutral
• Inexhaustible
• Produces ethanol which is used as an
alternative to gasoline and reduces the
amount of carbon monoxide and other
airborne toxin levels
Negatives of biomass
• it produces carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases
• Contributes to global warming
• Gathering fuel is expensive
• Some useable material isn’t
available all year long such as
crop wastes
Citation
" Biomass - Pros and cons." Biomass - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.
<http://whatabiomass.weebly.com/pros-and-cons.html>.
"Biomass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass>.
"Biomass Energy Home Page Biomass Energy: Cost of Production."
Oregon.gov Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW
Ghosh, Suvamita. "Biomass Energy Pros and Cons." Buzzle. N.p., n.d. Web.
20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biomass-energy-pros-andcons.html>.
Biomass vs Nuclear
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Biomass is readily available and in large supply
Biomass can be produced almost anywhere and is not
very susceptible to political pressures while nuclear is
not.
Biomass can produce solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels.
The energy content of biomass is high while nuclear
only has one form of fuel.
Biomass technology is simple and has been in use for
a long time while nuclear is not.
Wood is probably one of the most undermanaged and
underutilized resources in the U.S. With proper
planning and maintenance, it could provide readily
usable fuel forever.
Biomass vs Solar and Wind
1. Biomass is available almost everywhere while
solar and wind energy just are not as practical
in some places.
2. Biomass power plants take up less space by a
significant amount over a wind field that wind
energy needs.
3. Biomass doesn’t rely on your house pointing a
certain direction, or available space on a roof
top. It also doesn’t need to be area specific like
a solar power plant.
Biomass vs Geothermal
1. Biomass is more practical in the U.S. as
geothermal wouldn’t produce enough power to
be anywhere close to what biomass can
produce with the exception of the far west
coast where the earth’s plates connect.
2. While both are very environmentally friendly,
biomass clears up landfills and reduces the
amount of landfills we have while geothermal
does not.
Biomass vs Hydropower
1. Hydropower can only be used near a large
body of water or near a fast moving
stream/river while biomass can be used almost
anywhere.
2. While biomass is carbon neutral and does not
effect the environment in a negative way,
hydropower releases a large quantity of hot
water and sometimes chemicals into the water
system near them disrupting and sometimes
killing the wild life in the area.