Agricultural Biomass Resources, Opportunities, and Constraints Presentation to the Western Governors’ Association Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory Committee Biomass Task Force April 14-15, 2005 Denver, Colorado Resources Soil & Water Quality Improvement Health Benefits Potential Resources

Agriculturally-based Biomass Resources and Technologically Viable End-uses Prominent National Resources & End-Uses herbaceous energy crops switchgrass and big bluestem – bioethanol, heat, and electricity agricultural crop residues corn stover, wheat, barley, and oat straw – bioethanol oilseed crops soybeans, sunflower, canola/rapeseed, perennial oilseeds – biodiesel agribusiness processing residues edible and inedible tallows and waste greases, walnut shells, potato wastes – biodiesel, heat, bioethanol livestock manures dairy and swine operations – heat and electricity other biochemicals and biomaterials

Advantages of Agriculturally-based Biomass Resources Energy utilization of sustainable resources – sustainable energy balance Environmental decreased CO 2, SO x, and mercury emissions improved localized air quality improved water quality potential for carbon sequestration Economic improvement of foreign trade balance Security decreased petroleum dependence

Environmental Advantages of Herbaceous Energy Crops Rainfall and wind soil erosion reduction Herbaceous energy crops provide excellent continuous cover significantly reducing surface rainfall impact and wind forces Surface runoff reduction Herbaceous energy crops have extensive root systems allowing for greater infiltration (decreased risk of flooding) Nitrogen and agricultural chemical mitigation Herbaceous energy crops use less nitrogen, phosphorus, and agricultural chemicals than conventional commodity crops Increased soil organic carbon Extensive root system of switchgrass allows for carbon sequestration Switchgrass for renewable energy purposes provides a “psuedo closed-carbon” loop → significant reduction in the greenhouse gas CO 2 Restoration of marginal lands Topsoil Completely Eroded from Rainfall Erosion Marginal Lands in Need of Restoration

Perennial Oilseed Crop Systems Many factors that disqualify land for annual cropping may not apply to perennial crops! Environmental Advantages of Perennial Oilseed Production Exposure to wind and water erosion occurs primarily during establishment of annual crops is minimized with perennials Perennials can provide N fixation, decrease in rainfall erosion impact, and provide windbreaks Perennial oilseeds could reduce NPS pollution while also providing a return to the landowner through alternative energy production (double-benefit) Energetic Advantages of Perennial Oilseed Production Since the living plant, instead of the processing plant, adds the energy benefit, the energy ratio (ER) will be higher Castor (SW KS & TX) Chinese Tallow Tree

Agricultural Crop Residue Removal Sustainability Considerations Residue Required for Erosion Control is a function of: 1)Type of Erosion (wind or rainfall (water)) 2)Field management practices (tillage) 3)Soil type 4)Climate (rainfall, temperature, retained moisture) 5)Physical field characteristics (% slope, soil erodibility) 6)Crop and cropping rotation 7)Tolerable Soil Loss, T 8)Grain yield (bu/ac) Tolerable Soil Loss, T Maximum rate of soil erosion that will not lead to prolonged soil deterioration and/or loss of productivity Rotation & Field Topology Field Management Soil Tilth & Carbon Constraints !!! Corn Stover – seen as a “waste” resource

Constraints Agricultural Biomass Resource & Production Issues Land Resource arable versus non-arable – crops & production competing uses and cost/benefit Environmental Concerns production versus soil quality (soil erosion) water quality water resource soil tilth & carbon cycle Quantity of Sustainable Resource Others?

Potential Renewable Energy and Environmental/Pollution Credit Markets for Agriculturally-based Biomass Resources Renewable Energy Credits and Environmental/Pollution Trading Markets Sale of end-use energies derived from bioenergy Air emission credits for CO 2, SO x, NO x, mercury Water quality/pollution trading (sediment, nutrient and chemical savings)