Energy Benefits of Biomass
Biomass has been a major source of energy since the beginning of civilization. It has also been important in the early stages of industrialization in several countries. Since the Industrial Revolution, however, fossil fuels gained increasing importance because they offered the scale, efficiency, and reliability needed to change production systems radically.
The world as a whole and the United States, in particular, is facing an increasingly worrisome energy future. The United States uses more energy from fossil fuels and less from renewable energy sources than the world-wide average. On a world-wide basis, roughly 80% of the total energy supply comes from fossil fuel sources, 13% from renewable energy sources, and 7% from nuclear power (IEA 2003). In the United States, 86% of the total energy consumed comes from fossil fuels, 6% from renewable energy sources, and 8% from nuclear power (EIA 2004) (below).
A rapidly industrializing world, with China, Brazil and India in the lead, is significantly increasing the global demand for fossil fuel energy supplies. In contrast, estimated recoverable reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas have only remained stable due to improved extraction technology. Most of the largest oil fields in the world were discovered and brought into production decades ago and are facing serious, near-term declines in oil output. Price increases for oil and natural gas are believed to be all but inevitable (Eriksson and others 2002).
In the last 50 years, the consumption of energy in the United States has drastically increased. Approximately 100 quadrillion BTUs of energy were used by Americans in 2004 (EIA 2005). As consumption increases (right), renewable fuel sources can play a larger role in meeting the demands of consumers.
The United States is particularly vulnerable to oil supply disruptions or price increases since it imports over 50% of its crude oil consumption. Crude oil is imported from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela in addition to the Middle East (left). More efficient and effective utilization of biomass will increase the amount of renewable energy sources used and help to lessen the dependence on fossil fuels and foreign supplies of fossil fuels.
In this context, biomass emerges as an attractive modern energy source provided it can be economically utilized. All types of energy services can and are being provided today using biomass, with the reliability, safety, and efficiency required by the modern economy and society. Geopolitical considerations also have come to play an important role in energy security. As a result, many countries have realized the need to improve the efficiency of energy generation, distribution, and consumption, and to harness local resources as a way to increase the security of the energy supply, reverse fossil fuel dependency, and improve trade balance.
Encyclopedia ID: p1144
