2023 Billion-Ton Report: An Assessment of U.S. Renewable Carbon Resources

Bioenergy provided the largest single source of renewable energy in the United States in 2022, comprising approximately 5% of U.S. energy produced (EIA 2023) (Figure ES-1). The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is to develop and demonstrate technologies to accelerate net greenhouse gas emissions reductions through the cost-effective, sustainable use of biomass and waste feedstocks across the U.S. economy. This report assesses the potential for renewable biomass resources to support DOE goals by displacing fossil resources such as petroleum with renewable biogenic carbon resources that, when managed efficiently, have a lower climate impact than petroleum sources of carbon. Demand for renewable fuels is growing, especially for the aviation, marine, and rail sectors. For example, the Biden administration’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge targets the production of 35 billion gallons per year of SAF by 2050. Such targets raise the question: Does the United States have sufficient biomass supplies, within a practical range of environmental, economic, and resource constraints, to fill these needs? The answer is yes, provided adequate markets can be established, and that environmental safeguards are established to ensure sustainable outcomes. This report aims to inform stakeholders of the types and quantities of biomass resources that could potentially be available in the future and under what conditions. The report provides a detailed assessment of current and potential biomass production capacity in the United States at defined price points and under conditions that protect food production and environmental integrity.