Web Release Date: April 9,
High-Value Renewable Energy from Prairie Grasses
and
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USDA-ARS, Curtin Road, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Received for review May 9, 2001
Revised manuscript received February 18, 2002
Accepted February 26, 2002
Abstract:
Projected economic benefits of renewable energy derived from a native prairie grass, switchgrass, include nonmarket values that can reduce net fuel costs to near zero. At a farm gate price of $44.00/dry Mg, an agricultural sector model predicts higher profits for switchgrass than conventional crops on 16.9 million hectares (ha). Benefits would include an annual increase of $6 billion in net farm returns, a $1.86 billion reduction in government subsidies, and displacement of 44-159 Tg/year (1 Tg = 1012 g) of greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporating these values into the pricing structure for switchgrass bioenergy could accelerate commercialization and provide net benefits to the U.S. economy.
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