Washington is working to develop an economy based on smart, sustainable, dependable, renewable and reasonably priced energy... energy that will strengthen the economy, displace fossil fuel use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help respond to the challenges of climate change.

Bioenergy is a renewable resource and can be used to reduce our dependence on imported energy sources.

What is it?

Bioenergy is renewable electricity or fuel produced from organic matter, such as trees, grasses, crops, and a variety of organic waste. Bioenergy includes biofuels (such as biodiesel and ethanol) and biopower (from anaerobic digesters and wood-fired boilers).

Much like fossil fuels (such as petroleum, natural gas and coal), bioenergy taps the solar energy captured by plants as carbon. When burned to produce energy for human use, this carbon is released back into the air as carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Because plants re-absorb most of these gases as they grow, bioenergy offers a more sustainable way to manage carbon and reduce fossil fuel use.

Sources of bioenergy

• Farms
• Fields
• Forests
• Factories (for example, food processing plants or mills)
• Facilities (for example, wastewater treatment plants or landfills)

Potential benefits of bioenergy

• Supports rural economic development
• Reduces dependence on imported energy
• Leads to lower fuel prices
• Improves air quality
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Concerns about bioenergy

There are concerns about the impact of biofuels on food availability and cost, and whether biofuels use more energy than they produce. Most comprehensive studies conclude that biofuels are having a very modest impact on food systems, and a positive net energy balance. However, without consistent guidelines for such analyses, the results remain varied and subject to interpretation. The good news is that scientific models for estimating energy and environmental impacts are rapidly improving. And by attracting new technologies, Washington can emphasize more efficient energy and water use.

Not all biofuels are created equal, and most concerns have surrounded corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. Washington State biofuels are focused on different opportunities, such as:

• Oilseed crops grown on marginal land, or in rotation with wheat, such as canola
• Waste sources, from grease and construction debris to yard and municipal waste
• Cellulosic crops that don’t compete with food, such as grasses and saplings

Bioenergy in the future

As scientists and industry research and develop new technologies, we can look forward to greater economic and environmental sustainability in bioenergy production:

• more efficient water and energy use
• reduced, even negative, carbon impacts
• projects sized to meet community needs

What we’re doing in Washington

Washington is working towards economic as well as environmental sustainability. Public and private partnerships are creating new opportunities every day. State agencies have provided financial and technical assistance to industries and communities producing bioenergy from wood and agricultural products – Grays Harbor Paper and Quillayute Valley Schools are using wood-fired boilers to provide heat and power. Snohomish County and Yakima Valley growers are leading community biodiesel projects. Anaerobic digesters in Whatcom, Skagit and Yakima Counties are generating biogas and other valuable products from animal waste.
 
Our colleges and universities are also on the forefront of research and development.

University of Washington:

• working on new ways to gather and use forest materials for fuels and power production.
  

Washington State University:

• researching energy crops specific to our growing regions.
• developing cutting-edge technology to convert organic waste into fuel and power 
• researching new products from bioenergy production (for example, bioplastics).
• working with Pacific Northwest National Lab at the joint Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory in Richland to create and commercialize biofuels from cellulosic materials (for example, wheat straw, forestry residue and municipal waste diverted from landfills).

Want to dig deeper? Check out these links to more information:

BIOFUELS

Regional
nwbiofuels.org
nwbiodiesel.org
biofuels4business.com
pugetsoundcleancities.org
westcoastcollaborative.org
harvestcleanenergy.org/biofuel/

National
biodiesel.org
greencarcongress.com
forums.biodieselnow.com
fuelresponsibly.org
ethanolrfa.org
ethanol.org

BIOENERGY
bioenergy.wa.gov
pacificbiomass.org
agr.wa.gov/bioenergy/
bioenergywiki.net

GREEN ECONOMY
www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/GreenEconomy.htm

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Washington State provides various tax and market incentives to encourage in-state production, distribution, and retail sales for biodiesel and ethanol. For more information, visit: www.bioenergy.wa.gov