The Energy Bill calls for 16 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol by 2022 which could involve up to 200 thousand growers each supplying am average of 1000 tons of biomass to 250 plus biorefineries each producing 60 million gallons per year. Electricity and other biomass to energy applications will call for even more. Agriculture and forestry residues will provide a limited part of this amount while much of the remainder will be dedicated energy crops.  John Deere estimate that the 200 million tons of biomass required for cellulosic ethanol is roughly equal in weight to all food and fiber now passing through America’s farm gates. Where will the massive amounts of biomass come from?  In particular, has the farming community been engaged and is prepared to meet this challenge and turn it into an opportunity for them?

There seems to be an all too common belief that biomass availability is no more an issue for a biorefiner than wheat is to a flour miller – just build a facility and the raw material will be there. However, for biomass, most farmers are neither particularly familiar with planting and harvesting new grasses or other biomass crops nor accustomed to multi year contracts for perennial plantings.  Even without these impediments, a movement towards increased biomass production is very limited because of the understandable reluctance by farmers to establish perennial energy crops (most take three years to fully mature but there is a harvest in the first year) absent any biorefiner commitment to a community. 

At such time as the multi plant cellulosic ethanol roll out occurs over the next few years where will investors turn, particularly as technologies such as basic electricity production are well proven and will capture much of the low hanging existing biomass fruit?   This is a fundamental issue that is not being adequately addressed as investors will not commit to a community unless long term and sustainable biomass availability can be demonstrated within the parameters of normal business risk.  In plain words – too few committed farmers means the anticipated industry roll out to meet the sixteen billion gallon target is severely challenged.

Possible solution to this situation: Through the On Farm Biomass Crop Demonstration provision of the 2008 Farm Bill or other DOE, USDA, state or local funding encourage communities to become biorefinery ready.  The concept is to facilitate a critical mass of say, a minimum of 200 plus growers in a 60 mile radius to establish 5 or so acres of a biomass crop of their choice on a trial basis.  All expenses including opportunity costs for a five year period would be covered by the above mentioned programs. This would provide a community with a critical mass of growers with the know-how and confidence to enter into long term contracts with biorefiners for commercial acreages of biomass production.  Similarly biorefineries would be attracted to such communities with the knowledge that a large number of farmers in a concentrated area could deliver as contracted.

The major initiative required to mobilize many tens of thousands of farmers and forest owners is badly lacking and needs to be developed if actual energy from biomass such as cellulosic ethanol is to match government policy and move towards energy independence.