Untapped Potential: Sustainable Bioenergy Production From Marginal Lands in the Northeast US.

Millions of acres of marginal lands in the Northeast US no longer used for agriculture are suitable for production of second-generation cellulosic bioenergy crops, offering the potential for regional bioenergy production without inducing food vs. fuel competition for prime farmland. Abundant water resources, close proximity between production and markets, and compatibility of perennial grass and short-rotation woody cropping systems with existing agricultural systems all favor development in the region. In addition to conversion pathways to liquid transportation fuels, direct combustion (bioheat) and combined heat and power end uses can substantially reduce the region’s dependence on imported petroleum: New York and New England alone represent over 80% of the nation’s heating oil demand. Numerous grass-roots efforts are underway in the region representing innovation and exploration across the spectrum from land use and production to biomass processing. Nevertheless, development of this resource faces a number of challenges, including Federal policy choices with respect to fallow or abandoned lands that create needless uncertainty and risk for potential producers, users and investors. We review the opportunities for second-generation bioenergy production on marginal soils in the Northeast, and explore the challenges to be addressed in order to promote sustainable bioenergy production on the region’s underutilized land base.