Competitiveness of biomass-fueled electrical power plants

One way countries like the United States can comply with suggested rollback s in greenhouse gas emissions is by employing power plants fueled with biom ass. We examine the competitiveness of biomass-based fuel for electrical po wer as opposed to coal using a mathematical programming structure. We consi der fueling power plants from milling residues, whole trees, logging residu es, switch grass, or short-rotation woody crops. We do this using a combine d model of the agricultural and forestry sectors. We find that the competit iveness of biomass depends in a key way upon the success of research in dev eloping improved production methods for short-rotation woody crops without great increases in costs.