US BIOENERGY CROP ECONOMIC-ANALYSES - STATUS AND NEEDS

U.S. bioenergy crop production cost, supply curve, and transportation cost studies are summarized and compared. Production cost estimates ra nge from <$22/dry Mg [$20/dry ton (dt)] to more than $110/dry Mg ($100 /dry ton) depending on crop, region, yield and method of analysis. A d etailed description of an ORNL study is presented as a representative production cost study. Three national supply curve estimates are compa red; for a quantity of 110 million dry Mg (100 million dry tons), thes e studies estimate marginal bioenergy crop prices of $29/dry Mg ($26/d t) (farmgate), $46/dry Mg ($42/dt) (farmgate), and $55/dry Mg ($50/dt) (delivered). Three regional supply curve analyses are also discussed. Bioenergy crop transportation costs estimates range from $5.5/Mg ($5/ dt) and $8/Mg ($7.27/dt) for a haul distance of 40 km (25 miles). The paper closes with a discussion of analytical needs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.