IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v97y2016icp429-438.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technoeconomic assessment of beetle kill biomass co-firing in existing coal fired power plants in the Western United States

Author

Listed:
  • Beagle, E.
  • Belmont, E.

Abstract

Widespread mortality of forests in the western United States due to a bark beetle epidemic provides a source of biomass for power generation. This study assessed availability and economics of co-firing beetle kill biomass with coal in power plants in the western U.S. Since biomass may be considered carbon neutral under careful management, co-combustion of biomass with coal provides power plants a way to meet emission reduction requirements, such as those in the EPA Clean Power Plan (CPP). Cost has been a barrier to co-firing, but the economics are altered by emission reduction requirements, such as CPP guidelines. The present study assessed beetle kill biomass availability in national forests in Wyoming and Colorado through Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) data. Power plants near beetle kill mortality were identified as candidates for co-firing. An economic assessment of costs to implement co-firing was conducted. Co-firing reduces the need for the USFS to manage beetle kill trees when they are harvested for energy use, and these mitigated treatment costs were considered as an effective subsidy of co-firing. The results of this analysis include beetle kill availability, costs, and annual CO2 emissions reductions that can be met by co-firing.

Suggested Citation

  • Beagle, E. & Belmont, E., 2016. "Technoeconomic assessment of beetle kill biomass co-firing in existing coal fired power plants in the Western United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 429-438.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:97:y:2016:i:c:p:429-438
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2016.07.053
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421516304141
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.07.053?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jeffers, Robert F. & Jacobson, Jacob J. & Searcy, Erin M., 2013. "Dynamic analysis of policy drivers for bioenergy commodity markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 249-263.
    2. Escudero, Marcos & Jiménez, Ángel & González, Celina & López, Ignacio, 2013. "Quantitative analysis of potential power production and environmental benefits of Biomass Integrated Gasification Combined Cycles in the European Union," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 63-75.
    3. Reijnders, L., 2006. "Conditions for the sustainability of biomass based fuel use," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 863-876, May.
    4. Mark A. Moore & Anthony E. Boardman & Aidan R. Vining & David L. Weimer & David H. Greenberg, 2004. "“Just give me a number!” Practical values for the social discount rate," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(4), pages 789-812.
    5. Wilkerson, Jordan & Larsen, Peter & Barbose, Galen, 2014. "Survey of Western U.S. electric utility resource plans," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 90-103.
    6. Sahu, S.G. & Chakraborty, N. & Sarkar, P., 2014. "Coal–biomass co-combustion: An overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 575-586.
    7. Galik, Christopher S. & Abt, Robert C. & Latta, Gregory & Vegh, Tibor, 2015. "The environmental and economic effects of regional bioenergy policy in the southeastern U.S," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 335-346.
    8. Eriksson, Ola & Finnveden, Goran & Ekvall, Tomas & Bjorklund, Anna, 2007. "Life cycle assessment of fuels for district heating: A comparison of waste incineration, biomass- and natural gas combustion," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 1346-1362, February.
    9. Mobini, Mahdi & Sowlati, Taraneh & Sokhansanj, Shahab, 2011. "Forest biomass supply logistics for a power plant using the discrete-event simulation approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(4), pages 1241-1250, April.
    10. Tharakan, Pradeep J. & Volk, Timothy A. & Lindsey, Christopher A. & Abrahamson, Lawrence P. & White, Edwin H., 2005. "Evaluating the impact of three incentive programs on the economics of cofiring willow biomass with coal in New York State," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 337-347, February.
    11. Hansson, Julia & Berndes, Gran & Johnsson, Filip & Kjrstad, Jan, 2009. "Co-firing biomass with coal for electricity generation--An assessment of the potential in EU27," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 1444-1455, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Beagle, E. & Belmont, E., 2019. "Comparative life cycle assessment of biomass utilization for electricity generation in the European Union and the United States," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 267-275.
    2. Nguyen Van Song & Thai Van Ha & Tran Duc Thuan & Nguyen Van Hanh & Dinh Van Tien & Nguyen Cong Tiep & Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong & Phan Anh Tu & Tran Ba Uan, 2021. "Development of Rice Husk Power Plants Based on Clean Development Mechanism: A Case Study in Mekong River Delta, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-10, June.
    3. Xu, Jiuping & Huang, Qian & Lv, Chengwei & Feng, Qing & Wang, Fengjuan, 2018. "Carbon emissions reductions oriented dynamic equilibrium strategy using biomass-coal co-firing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 184-197.
    4. Robert M. Campbell & Nathaniel M. Anderson & Daren E. Daugaard & Helen T. Naughton, 2018. "Technoeconomic and Policy Drivers of Project Performance for Bioenergy Alternatives Using Biomass from Beetle-Killed Trees," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-20, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anne Rainville & Ramona Apostol, 2017. "Capturing Value in Innovation Procurement: A Business Case Methodology," Working Papers 2017/2, Maastricht School of Management.
    2. Shirzad, Mohammad & Kazemi Shariat Panahi, Hamed & Dashti, Behrouz B. & Rajaeifar, Mohammad Ali & Aghbashlo, Mortaza & Tabatabaei, Meisam, 2019. "A comprehensive review on electricity generation and GHG emission reduction potentials through anaerobic digestion of agricultural and livestock/slaughterhouse wastes in Iran," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 571-594.
    3. Hoefnagels, Ric & Banse, Martin & Dornburg, Veronika & Faaij, André, 2013. "Macro-economic impact of large-scale deployment of biomass resources for energy and materials on a national level—A combined approach for the Netherlands," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 727-744.
    4. Sayegh, M.A. & Danielewicz, J. & Nannou, T. & Miniewicz, M. & Jadwiszczak, P. & Piekarska, K. & Jouhara, H., 2017. "Trends of European research and development in district heating technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P2), pages 1183-1192.
    5. David Laibson, 1997. "Golden Eggs and Hyperbolic Discounting," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(2), pages 443-478.
    6. Ozsezen, Ahmet Necati & Canakci, Mustafa, 2011. "Performance and combustion characteristics of alcohol–gasoline blends at wide-open throttle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 2747-2752.
    7. Richard G. Newell & William A. Pizer & Brian C. Prest, 2023. "The Shadow Price of Capital: Accounting for Capital Displacement in Benefit-Cost Analysis," NBER Chapters, in: Environmental and Energy Policy and the Economy, volume 5, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Rothstein, Jesse & Rouse, Cecilia Elena, 2011. "Constrained after college: Student loans and early-career occupational choices," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(1-2), pages 149-163, February.
    9. Tyler Atkinson & David Luttrell & Harvey Rosenblum, 2013. "How bad was it? The costs and consequences of the 2007–09 financial crisis," Staff Papers, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, issue Jul.
    10. Ali Mohammadi & G. Venkatesh & Maria Sandberg & Samieh Eskandari & Stephen Joseph & Karin Granström, 2020. "A Comprehensive Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of the Use of Hydrochar Pellets in Combined Heat and Power Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-15, October.
    11. Adhikari, Suraj & Illukpitiya, Prabodh & Fisseha, Tegegne & Enefiok, Ekanem, 2017. "Comparative economic analysis of on-farm biodiesel production," 2017 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2017, Mobile, Alabama 252766, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    12. Sadi, M. & Arabkoohsar, A., 2019. "Exergoeconomic analysis of a combined solar-waste driven power plant," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 883-893.
    13. Blomquist, Glenn C. & Coomes, Paul A. & Jepsen, Christopher & Koford, Brandon C. & Troske, Kenneth R., 2014. "Estimating the social value of higher education: willingness to pay for community and technical colleges," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 3-41, January.
    14. Moiseyev, Alexander & Solberg, Birger & Kallio, A. Maarit I., 2014. "The impact of subsidies and carbon pricing on the wood biomass use for energy in the EU," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 161-167.
    15. Tabet, F. & Gökalp, I., 2015. "Review on CFD based models for co-firing coal and biomass," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1101-1114.
    16. Roni, Md.S. & Eksioglu, Sandra D. & Searcy, Erin & Jha, Krishna, 2014. "A supply chain network design model for biomass co-firing in coal-fired power plants," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 115-134.
    17. Hao, Xiaoli & Yang, Hongxing & Zhang, Guoqiang, 2008. "Trigeneration: A new way for landfill gas utilization and its feasibility in Hong Kong," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 3662-3673, October.
    18. Cambero, Claudia & Sowlati, Taraneh, 2014. "Assessment and optimization of forest biomass supply chains from economic, social and environmental perspectives – A review of literature," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 62-73.
    19. Sacchelli, Sandro & De Meo, Isabella & Paletto, Alessandro, 2013. "Bioenergy production and forest multifunctionality: A trade-off analysis using multiscale GIS model in a case study in Italy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 10-20.
    20. Hillig, Débora Moraes & Pohlmann, Juliana Gonçalves & Manera, Christian & Perondi, Daniele & Pereira, Fernando Marcelo & Altafini, Carlos Roberto & Godinho, Marcelo, 2020. "Evaluation of the structural changes of a char produced by slow pyrolysis of biomass and of a high-ash coal during its combustion and their role in the reactivity and flue gas emissions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:97:y:2016:i:c:p:429-438. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.