EIA: Southern States Dominate Biomass Power Growth

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--When it comes to growth in biomass power, the South is number one, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The finding seems to bear out with the numbers in Industrial Info's project database, which indicate the Southeast market region--including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi--towers above the rest in biomass investments. In all, Industrial Info is tracking active U.S. biomass-related projects worth $3.67 billion, including $1.55 billion in the Southeast region.

Click the image at right for a graph detailing biomass project spending by market region.

Over the past five years, U.S. electricity generation from biomass grew from 56 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2010 to 64 GWh in 2015, the EIA said in an article published Wednesday, with much of the growth occurring in southern states such as Virginia, Florida and Georgia. Biomass accounted for 1.6% of total electricity generation last year in the U.S., and 11.3% of all renewable energy, the agency said.

"Nearly half of the electricity generated from biomass in 2015 was at industrial facilities outside of the electric power sector, such as pulp and paper mills," the EIA said. "Within the electric power sector, biomass accounted for 6.3% of renewable electricity and 0.8% of total U.S. electricity generation."

Biomass power generation in the South, which includes 14 states stretching from Texas to Florida, accounted for 31.1 GWh in 2015, nearly half of all the biomass power generated in the Southern states have an abundance of forest waste resources that can be used as biomass, the EIA said. The agency noted that Virginia has a statewide program to convert coal plants to biomass, with several that converted in 2013. Increases in electricity generation from biomass in Georgia and Florida were each due primarily to a single new plant coming online.

Industrial Info is tracking no less than four biomass projects each valued at $250 million in Florida. US EcoGen LLC's (Potomac, Maryland), grassroot biomass-fired power station in Fort Meade will consist of a 60-megawatt (MW) turbine generator to provide power to the local al grid. It is expected to be completed in November 2018. The other three big Florida projects are located in Okeechobee, Indiantown and Green Cove Springs.

The EIA noted that the western part of the U.S. has also seen strong growth in biomass power (an increase of 15% from 2010 to 2015), with most of the growth coming from California. Industrial Info's database shows the West Coast market region in second place in biomass power projects, totaling $938 million in investments.

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