biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312-efd9cdc403700a0b.pdf

This policy brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) argues that renewable biomass and the energy programs established by the 2008 Farm Bill are critical for reducing U.S. dependence on petroleum, enhancing energy security, and promoting rural economic development.

• The United States maintains a high level of petroleum dependence; in 2011, oil accounted for 36 percent of total primary energy consumption, with 93 percent of transportation fuel being petroleum-based.
• Petroleum price volatility and import costs impact the U.S. economy, with the nation spending over $331 billion on petroleum imports in 2011, a 31 percent increase over 2010.
• The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) aims for 36 billion gallons of biofuel production by 2022. In 2011, the industry produced approximately 13.9 billion gallons of ethanol, representing about 10 percent of U.S. gasoline consumption by volume.
• The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) has established 11 project areas across states including Arkansas, California, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington. However, the USDA estimates that 27 million acres of marginal lands may be required to meet RFS goals by 2022.
• To achieve the RFS goal of 20 billion gallons of advanced biofuels by 2022, the U.S. may need to construct approximately 527 new biorefineries, with an estimated total cost of $168 billion.
• The 2008 Farm Bill provided various programs to support the bioeconomy, including the Biorefinery Assistance Program for loan guarantees, the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels for grants, and the Biobased Market Program to promote non-transportation petroleum alternatives.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (n.d.). biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312-efd9cdc403700a0b.pdf. https://www.eesi.org/files/biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312-efd9cdc403700a0b.pdf. n.d. https://www.eesi.org/files/biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312-efd9cdc403700a0b.pdf |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitutendbiomassoilissuebrief071312efd9cdc403700a0bpdf, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{biomass\_oil\_issue\_brief\_071312-efd9cdc403700a0b.pdf}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/biomass_oil_issue_brief_071312.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }