Biomass is plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste used as a fuel or energy source. Because biomass is made of plant material, which absorbs the sun’s energy in a process called photosynthesis, we can also describe biomass as an indirect form of solar energy. Biomass fits in the renewable energy category as well because more trees, crops, and other flora will always grow—and waste will always exist! You might think that’s unfortunate, but waste is a wonderful product when it can be recycled. The more waste we recycle as fuel, the less new material we need to consume for energy. And biomass offers us another fuel-saving benefit: if we burn plant material, we can avoid burning fossil fuels. Unlike biomass, fossil fuels—oil, coal, and natural gas—are not renewable. One day we will run out of fossil fuel. At the very least, fossil fuel will become extremely scarce and more and more difficult to extract. It will then be extremely expensive—probably too expensive—to make it a reasonable source of energy. And biomass is also more environmentally friendly. Compared to fossil fuels, biomass burns more cleanly, releasing fewer harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

Biomass fuels provide about 3 percent of the energy used in the United States; 2 percent comes from wood and wood processing byproduct. People in the USA are trying to develop ways to burn more biomass and less fossil fuel.

History of Biomass

Ancient Era
Wood is the primary fuel for heating and cooking.

1860
Wood is still the primary fuel for heating and cooking in homes and businesses, and is used to create steam in industries, trains, and boats.

1890
Coal has displaced much of the wood used in steam generation.

1900
Ethanol—a biofuel made from corn—competes with gasoline to be the primary fuel for cars.

1910
Most rural homes are still heated with wood. In towns, coal begins to displace wood as the primary source of energy to heat homes.

1930
Over half of all Americans live in cities in buildings heated by coal. Rural Americans still heat their houses and cook with wood. Diesel and gasoline are firmly established as the fuel for trucks and automobiles. Street cars run on electricity, generated from fossil fuels. Railroads and boats use coal and diesel fuel.

1950
Electricity—generated using coal and other fossil fuels, like natural gas—have displaced wood heat in most homes and commercial buildings.

1970
The Energy Crisis forces petroleum-dependent energy users to reconsider biomass fuels.

Today
Concern about dwindling natural resources, global warming, high energy prices, and pollution make biomass an attractive solution to our ongoing energy problems.