Biomass is receiving increasing attention as scientists, policy makers, and growers search for clean, renewable energy alternatives. Compared with other renewable resources, biomass is very flexible; it can be used as fuel for direct combustion, gasified, used in combined heat and power technologies, or biochemical conversions. Due to the wide range of feedstocks, biomass has a broad geographic distribution, in some cases offering a least-cost and near-term alternative.
The objective of this research is to estimate the biomass resources available in the United States and map the results. To accomplish this objective, biomass feedstock data arc analyzed both statistically and graphically using geographic information systems (GIS). A GIS is a computer-based information system used to create, manipulate, and analyze geographic information, allowing us to visualize relationships, patterns, or trends that arc not possible to see with traditional charts, graphs, and spreadsheets.