The economic and environmental performance of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production

Marilyn A. Brown; Alice Favero; Valerie M. Thomas; Aline Banboukian

doi:10.1016/j.jup.2019.04.002

The economic and environmental performance of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production

Marilyn A. Brown, Alice Favero, Valerie M. Thomas, Aline Banboukian

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Electricity powered by biomass is expanding. We examine four recent biopower plants and global benchmarks to assess their overall performance, confirming the characterization of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production. Electricity from biomass is more expensive than energy efficiency, natural gas, wind, or solar but substantially less expensive than new coal or nuclear plants. Compared to coal and natural gas per MWh produced, the NOx and SO₂ emissions of biopower are also intermediate. We confirm that current investments in biopower can be attributed to an array of stakeholder value propositions extending beyond basic economic and environmental metrics.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	52-62
Number of pages	11
Journal	Utilities Policy
Volume	58
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2019.04.002
State	Published - Jun 2019
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) under contract 135607 with the Georgia Institute of Technology . The Brook Byers Institute of Sustainable Systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology provided resources to expand the scope and depth of the project's research. We are grateful for the substantive contributions provided by Sami Yassa, Amanda Walton, and Walter Shepherd (NRDC), Katie Southworth (EMV Energy Solutions, LLC), Roel Hammerschlag, Alex Kazaglis, and colleagues in the Climate and Energy Policy Lab at Georgia Tech. Finally, we want to acknowledge the valuable comments offered by the Editor of Utilities Policy and three anonymous reviewers. This work was supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (Contract #135607)and the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)under contract 135607 with the Georgia Institute of Technology. The Brook Byers Institute of Sustainable Systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology provided resources to expand the scope and depth of the project's research. We are grateful for the substantive contributions provided by Sami Yassa, Amanda Walton, and Walter Shepherd (NRDC), Katie Southworth (EMV Energy Solutions, LLC), Roel Hammerschlag, Alex Kazaglis, and colleagues in the Climate and Energy Policy Lab at Georgia Tech. Finally, we want to acknowledge the valuable comments offered by the Editor of Utilities Policy and three anonymous reviewers. This work was supported by the Natural Resources Defense Council (Contract # 135607 ) and the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Funders	Funder number
Natural Resources Defense Council	135607
Georgia Institute of Technology
Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, Georgia Institute of Technology

Keywords

Biogenic carbon and air pollution
Biomass power plants
Levelized cost of electricity

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jup.2019.04.002

Cite this

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title = "The economic and environmental performance of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production",

abstract = "Electricity powered by biomass is expanding. We examine four recent biopower plants and global benchmarks to assess their overall performance, confirming the characterization of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production. Electricity from biomass is more expensive than energy efficiency, natural gas, wind, or solar but substantially less expensive than new coal or nuclear plants. Compared to coal and natural gas per MWh produced, the NOx and SO2 emissions of biopower are also intermediate. We confirm that current investments in biopower can be attributed to an array of stakeholder value propositions extending beyond basic economic and environmental metrics.",

keywords = "Biogenic carbon and air pollution, Biomass power plants, Levelized cost of electricity",

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AU - Brown, Marilyn A.

AU - Favero, Alice

AU - Thomas, Valerie M.

AU - Banboukian, Aline

PY - 2019/6

Y1 - 2019/6

N2 - Electricity powered by biomass is expanding. We examine four recent biopower plants and global benchmarks to assess their overall performance, confirming the characterization of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production. Electricity from biomass is more expensive than energy efficiency, natural gas, wind, or solar but substantially less expensive than new coal or nuclear plants. Compared to coal and natural gas per MWh produced, the NOx and SO2 emissions of biopower are also intermediate. We confirm that current investments in biopower can be attributed to an array of stakeholder value propositions extending beyond basic economic and environmental metrics.

AB - Electricity powered by biomass is expanding. We examine four recent biopower plants and global benchmarks to assess their overall performance, confirming the characterization of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production. Electricity from biomass is more expensive than energy efficiency, natural gas, wind, or solar but substantially less expensive than new coal or nuclear plants. Compared to coal and natural gas per MWh produced, the NOx and SO2 emissions of biopower are also intermediate. We confirm that current investments in biopower can be attributed to an array of stakeholder value propositions extending beyond basic economic and environmental metrics.

KW - Biogenic carbon and air pollution

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KW - Levelized cost of electricity

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SN - 0957-1787

VL - 58

SP - 52

EP - 62

JO - Utilities Policy

JF - Utilities Policy

ER -

The economic and environmental performance of biomass as an “intermediate” resource for power production

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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