In the first installment of this series we explored the basic facts about electricity production from biomass, and some pervasive myths about it. In the second, we delved into the complicated issues involved in accounting for the climate implications of biopower. In this installment, Ben Paulos explores the future of biopower. Electricity is just one possible use for biomass feedstocks. There are many energy products – ethanol, biodiesel, methane, heat, and more – let alone all the other uses of plants that we have devised over the millennia. Given the many competing options for a limited supply of biomass, does biopower even have a future? And given the many other ways of producing low-carbon energy, do we need it to solve global warming? Niches Forecasts about bioenergy from energy agencies and analysts have been all over the map, some predicting vast potential and others seeing insurmountable barriers to growth. As mentioned in our first installment, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has been steadily ramping down expected growth for biopower. While the models may be uncertain, … Continue reading On Biofuels, part 3: The future of bioenergy