EIA: Biomass power capacity to increase in 2018

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EIA: Biomass power capacity to increase in 2018

By Erin Voegele | May 11, 2018

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the May edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting that nonhydropower renewables will provide more than 10 percent of electricity generation this year, up from slightly less than 10 percent last year. In 2019, nonhydropower renewables are expected to provide nearly 11 percent of electricity generation.

Wood biomass is expected to be used to generate 119,000 MWh per day of electricity this year, increasing to 120,000 MWh per day next year. Waste biomass is currently expected to be used to generate 59,000 MWh per day of electricity in both 2018 and 2019.

The electric power sector is expected to consume 0.287 quadrillion Btu (quad) of waste biomass this year, falling to 0.286 quad next year. The sector is also expected to consume 0.244 quad of wood biomass this year, increasing to 0.247 quad next year.

The industrial sector is expected to consume 0.167 quad of waste biomass in both 2018 and 2019. The sector is expected to consume 1.435 quad of wood biomass this year, falling to 1.414 quad next year.

The commercial sector is expected to consume 0.045 quad of waste biomass and 0.084 quad of wood biomass in both 2018 and 2019.

The residential sector is expected to consume 0.411 quad of wood biomass this year, increasing to 0.42 quad next year.

The electric power sector is expected to have 7,373 MW of biomass power capacity in place by the end of this year, up from 7,303 MW at the end of 2017. By the end of 2019, biomass power capacity is expected to increase to 7,536 MW.

In other sectors, biomass power capacity is expected to reach 6,777 MW by the end of 2018, up from 6,768 MW at the end of 2017. By the end of 2019, capacity is expected to fall slightly, returning to 6,768 MW.

The electric power sector is expected to generate 92,000 MWh per day of electricity from biomass in both 2018 and 2019, up from 89,000 MWh per day. Other sectors are expected to generate 87,000 MWh per day of electricity from biomass this year and next year, up from 86,000 MWh per day last year.