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Title: Status and prospects for renewable energy using wood pellets from the southeastern United States

Journal Article · · Global Change Biology. Bioenergy
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12445· OSTI ID:1352296
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  1. Center for BioEnergy Sustainability Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN 37831‐6036 USA
  2. NSW Department of Primary Industries University of New England Armidale NSW Australia
  3. Weyerhaeuser Company Vanceboro NC 28586 USA
  4. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY 13210 USA
  5. Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ UK
  6. University of Toronto Toronto ON M5S 3B3 Canada
  7. National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) Clemson SC 29634 USA
  8. University of Copenhagen DK‐1958 Frederiksberg C Denmark
  9. Chalmers University of Technology SE‐41296 Göteborg Sweden
  10. Canadian Forest Service Québec G1V 4C7 QC Canada
  11. Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation 24‐100 Pulawy Poland
  12. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Golden CO 80401‐3305 USA
  13. Centre for Environmental Policy Imperial College London SW7 2AZ London UK
  14. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐750 07 Uppsala Sweden
  15. Linnaeus University 351 95 Växjö Sweden
  16. Thünen Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics 21031 Hamburg Germany
  17. Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc. Washington DC 20037 USA
  18. State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) 13083‐860 Campinas SP Brazil
  19. Rothamsted Research Harpenden AL5 2JQ UK
  20. University of the Sunshine Coast Maroochydore DC Qld 4558 Australia
  21. North Carolina State University (NCSU) Raleigh NC 27695 USA
  22. University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ UK
  23. Bioenergy Technologies Office U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Washington DC 20585 USA
  24. University of Tennessee Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center Oak Ridge TN 37830 USA
  25. Enviva LP Bethesda MD 20814 USA
  26. Bioenergy Technologies Office U.S. Department of Energy Golden CO 80401 USA
  27. Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, LLC Antrim NH 03301 USA
  28. Resource Management Service, LLC Birmingham AL 35242 USA
  29. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Argonne IL 60439 USA
  30. Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada (AAFC) Ottawa ON K1A OC5 Canada
+ Show Author Affiliations

The ongoing debate about costs and benefits of wood-pellet based bioenergy production in the southeastern United States (SE USA) requires an understanding of the science and context influencing market decisions associated with its sustainability. Production of pellets has garnered much attention as US exports have grown from negligible amounts in the early 2000s to 4.6 million metric tonnes in 2015. Currently, 98% of these pellet exports are shipped to Europe to displace coal in power plants. We ask, ‘How is the production of wood pellets in the SE USA affecting forest systems and the ecosystem services they provide?’ To address this question, we review current forest conditions and the status of the wood products industry, how pellet production affects ecosystem services and biodiversity, and what methods are in place to monitor changes and protect vulnerable systems. Scientific studies provide evidence that wood pellets in the SE USA are a fraction of total forestry operations and can be produced while maintaining or improving forest ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are protected by the requirement to utilize loggers trained to apply scientifically based best management practices in planning and implementing harvest for the export market. Bioenergy markets supplement incomes to private rural landholders and provide an incentive for forest management practices that simultaneously benefit water quality and wildlife and reduce risk of fire and insect outbreaks. Bioenergy also increases the value of forest land to landowners, thereby decreasing likelihood of conversion to nonforest uses. Monitoring and evaluation are essential to verify that regulations and good practices are achieving goals and to enable timely responses if problems arise. Conducting rigorous research to understand how conditions change in response to management choices requires baseline data, monitoring, and appropriate reference scenarios. Long-term monitoring data on forest conditions should be publicly accessible and utilized to inform adaptive management.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308; AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1352296
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1352297; OSTI ID: 1373676; OSTI ID: 1408618
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5100-68172
Journal Information:
Global Change Biology. Bioenergy, Journal Name: Global Change Biology. Bioenergy Vol. 9 Journal Issue: 8; ISSN 1757-1693
Publisher:
Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 46 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
best management practices
biodiversity
bioenergy
carbon
ecosystem services
forests
pellets
southeastern United States
sustainability