Bioenergy Links and Publications

AgSTAR Program
The AgStar Library, operated by the Environmental Protection Agency, contains an array of information related to manure management systems. The Library is organized by subject matter as per the menu below. All products and documents in the library are downloadable. Articles and news are added as they become available. The Library also welcomes submissions from others who might come across information of interest.

AgSTAR Handbook and Software is a comprehensive manual developed to provide guidance on developing biogas technology at commercial farms. The handbook also contains FarmWare, an expert decision support software package that can be used to conduct prefeasability assessments.

American Bioenergy Association
The American Bioenergy Association is a leading voice in the United States for the bioenergy industry. "We work to build support throughout the federal government for the biomass industry through tax incentives, increased biomass research and development budgets, regulations and other policy initiatives," the ABA says on its website.

Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidelines
Produced by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and updated for 2004, this guide includes a frequently asked questions section, expanded biodiesel basic information, and the most currently available blending information. The guide is available for free download at the link above.

Biodiesel Production for On-Farm Use: A Curriculum for Agricultural Producers provides an illustrated, easy-to-understand online guide for farmers and others who would like to learn more about producing their own biodiesel. This virtual quick course was prepared by Piedmont Biofuels for the National Center for Appropriate Technology. It gives information about various feedstock crops and the crushing and pressing process. The guide includes case studies of some farms and other commercial operations that make and use biodiesel to power their vehicles and equipment.

Bioenergy Information Network
The Bioenergy Information Network is a gateway to information about fast growing trees, grasses, and residues for fuels and power.

Biofuels and Agriculture: A Factsheet for Farmers
This DOE publication provides an overview of biofuels and their use in agricultural applications, including production and growth opportunities and future market potential.

Biomass Energy Research Association
The Biomass Energy Research Association is a leader in the national effort to achieve:

• National energy security
• Independence from foreign oil imports
• Clean air standards
• Compliance with global climate change initiatives
• Partnerships among industry, universities and non-profit research organizations, government agencies and national laboratories
• International research alliances
• Provision of objective state-of-the-art information to government agencies, legislators and decision-makers.

Biomass Feedstock Availability in the United States: 1999 State Level Analysis
Interest in using biomass feedstocks to produce power, liquid fuels, and chemicals in the United States is increasing. Central to determining the potential for these industries to develop is an understanding of the location, quantities, and prices of biomass resources. View a paper describing the methodology used to estimate biomass quantities and prices for each state in the continental United States.

Biomass Research and Development Initiative
The Biomass Initiative is the multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate all federal bio-based products and bioenergy research and development. The Initiative is guided by two principle documents:

• The Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000, passed in June of 2000 (Title III if the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000, P.L.106-224) and
  
• Executive Order 13134: DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING BIOBASED PRODUCTS AND BIOENERGY, issued in August of 1999 with the accompanying

DOE's Biomass Program develops technology for conversion of biomass (plant-derived material) to valuable fuels, chemicals, materials and power, so as to reduce dependence on foreign oil and foster growth of biorefineries. Website includes a Biomass Document Database, as well as useful information on feedstocks, conversion technologies, and more.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network
Bioenergy is the use of biomass (organic matter) to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals. Bioenergy sources include agricultural and forestry residues and the organic component of municipal and industrial wastes. In the future, farms may provide a dedicated, sustainable source of biomass by growing energy crops, such as fast-growing trees and grasses. Check the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network's Bioenergy website. 

Energy from Crops
For a copy of a paper titled "Energy from Crops and Agricultural Residues in Montana" (July 30, 1987) by Howard Haines of the Montana Department of environmental Quality, click here. 

Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC)
Ethanol Producers and Consumers (EPAC) is a non-profit organization with members throughout the nation who support the production and use of ethanol as a clean, renewable energy resource.

Funding On-Farm Biogas Recovery Systems: A Guide to Federal and State Resources ) provides information about programs and strategies, such as low-interest loans, grants, and tax incentives, that can help parties interested in implementing anaerobic digestion technology overcome financial barriers to project development. (PDF, 72 pp., 653 KB).

Governors' Ethanol Coalition
Membership in the Governors' Ethanol Coalition stands at 26 with international representatives from Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Sweden. The Coalition's goal is to increase the use of ethanol based fuels, decrease the nation's dependence on imported energy resources, improve the environment and stimulate the national economy. The coalition says this will be accomplished through a coordinated set of activities designed to educate and demonstrate to the public the benefits of ethanol use; to encourage ethanol fuel production and use through research and market development efforts; and to make investments in infrastructure to support expansion of the ethanol market. The Coalition supports the production of ethanol from corn or other domestic, renewable resources using sustainable agricultural methods and encourages its use in environmentally acceptable applications.

Grassolean
The Grassolean Team is a group of individuals and organizations committed to the advancement of biodiesel – "cleanest fuel technologies available today,’’ according to the Grassolean website. Biodiesel is a vegetable oil based fuel that can be used as a replacement for petroleum diesel in any diesel engine with little or no modification to that engine. Biodiesel is rapidly gaining acceptance around the world, in large part, due to the its many health and environmental benefits, when compared to the effects of regular diesel. For more information, read the Grassolean Times.

Montana Bioenergy Resources
All plant or plant-derived material—"biomass"—from trees and grasses, agricultural crops, agricultural or forestry residues, and waste materials from plant products can be used to produce "bioenergy."

For heating applications or electricity generation, biomass can be burned in its solid form, or first converted into liquid or gaseous fuels for energy sources. Biomass power technologies convert renewable biomass fuels into heat and electricity using modern boilers, gasifiers, turbines, generators, fuel cells, and other methods.

National Biobased Products and Bioenergy
Welcome to the National Biobased Products and Bioenergy web site. The purpose of this site is to provide information about the multi-agency Federal activities relating to biobased products and bioenergy.

National Biodiesel Board
The National Biodiesel Board is the national trade association representing the biodiesel industry as the coordinating body for research and development in the US.  It was founded in 1992 by state soybean commodity groups, who were funding biodiesel research and development programs.  Since that time, the NBB has developed into a comprehensive industry association, which coordinates and interacts with a broad range of cooperators including industry, government, and academia.  NBB's membership comprises state, national, and international feedstock and feedstock processor organizations, biodiesel suppliers, fuel marketers and distributors, and technology providers. 

Renewable Energy Opportunities on the Farm
Renewable energy represents an important option for agricultural producers. This publication from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service/ATTRA introduces three renewable energy resources that can be attractive and economically feasible for the farm: solar, wind, and renewable fuels. This is not a technical guide for designing or installing renewable energy systems but, instead, an overview that provides information on wind, solar, and renewable fuel technologies, cost and savings, site planning, and financial incentives. A list of resources follows the narrative.

United BioEnergy Commercialization Association (UBECA)
The United BioEnergy Commercialization Association (UBECA) is a trade association that represents the U.S. biomass power industry. UBECA was formed in 1994 to encourage the development of sustainable biomass resources and economically competitive biomass energy conversion technologies for the benefit of electric utilities, power producers, fuel suppliers, their customers, and society.