Visualizing feedstock siting in biomass production: Tradeoffs between economic and water quality objectives

Gorelick, David E.; Baskaran, Latha M.; Jager, Henriëtte I.

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104201

Title: Visualizing feedstock siting in biomass production: Tradeoffs between economic and water quality objectives

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Abstract

New domestic, renewable energy resources must be considered to increase energy security in the U.S. Ethanol production through second-generation (cellulosic) feedstocks will help the U.S. meet the legislative Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022. However, conversion of cropland to meet the cellulosic feedstock production goals may have unforeseen environmental consequences. Using Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) outputs and National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) economic data, we conducted a spatial optimization of bioenergy feedstock introduction into the Arkansas White-Red River Basin based on water quality and economic objectives, subject to constraints on total land conversion. Results displayed tradeoffs between bioenergy yield for three crops (switchgrass, sorghum and poplar) and land rent objectives. Optimal solutions tended to prioritize conversion of land in eastern AWR subbasins where yield and water quality objective improvements were greatest. A small number of subbasins contributed to basin-wide water quality improvements, whereas subbasins contributing to economic benefits were more spatially dispersed, indicating that water quality responses are more likely to constrain feedstock placement. Biomass production targets can be met vianumerous spatial arrangements, whereas marginal improvement in water quality objectives can best be achieved by selectively siting perennial feedstocks in themore » eastern half of the region.« less

Authors:

Gorelick, David E. ^[1]; Baskaran, Latha M. ^[2];

^[3]

Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (United States)
NASA Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Publication Date:: Fri Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); UT-Battelle LLC/ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:: 1564242

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1777553; OSTI ID: 1836065

Report Number(s):: DOE-ANTARES-07088-5
Journal ID: ISSN 0264-8377

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; EE0007088

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Land Use Policy

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 88; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0264-8377

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 09 BIOMASS FUELS; Multi-objective; Spatial; Optimization; Bioenergy; Water; Quality; Multi-objective Spatial Optimization Bioenergy Water Quality

Citation Formats


                    Gorelick, David E., Baskaran, Latha M., and Jager, Henriëtte I. Visualizing feedstock siting in biomass production: Tradeoffs between economic and water quality objectives.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104201.

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                    Gorelick, David E., Baskaran, Latha M., & Jager, Henriëtte I. Visualizing feedstock siting in biomass production: Tradeoffs between economic and water quality objectives.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104201

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                    Gorelick, David E., Baskaran, Latha M., and Jager, Henriëtte I. Fri .  
"Visualizing feedstock siting in biomass production: Tradeoffs between economic and water quality objectives".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104201.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1564242.

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@article{osti_1564242,

  title        = {Visualizing feedstock siting in biomass production: Tradeoffs between economic and water quality objectives},

  author       = {Gorelick, David E. and Baskaran, Latha M. and Jager, Henriëtte I.},

  abstractNote = {New domestic, renewable energy resources must be considered to increase energy security in the U.S. Ethanol production through second-generation (cellulosic) feedstocks will help the U.S. meet the legislative Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022. However, conversion of cropland to meet the cellulosic feedstock production goals may have unforeseen environmental consequences. Using Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) outputs and National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) economic data, we conducted a spatial optimization of bioenergy feedstock introduction into the Arkansas White-Red River Basin based on water quality and economic objectives, subject to constraints on total land conversion. Results displayed tradeoffs between bioenergy yield for three crops (switchgrass, sorghum and poplar) and land rent objectives. Optimal solutions tended to prioritize conversion of land in eastern AWR subbasins where yield and water quality objective improvements were greatest. A small number of subbasins contributed to basin-wide water quality improvements, whereas subbasins contributing to economic benefits were more spatially dispersed, indicating that water quality responses are more likely to constrain feedstock placement. Biomass production targets can be met vianumerous spatial arrangements, whereas marginal improvement in water quality objectives can best be achieved by selectively siting perennial feedstocks in the eastern half of the region.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.104201},

  journal      = {Land Use Policy},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 88,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2019},

  month        = {Fri Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2019}

}

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