BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP)

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency, provides financial support to agricultural and non-industrial private forest land owners and operators to establish, produce, and deliver biomass feedstocks for bioenergy generation.

• The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) is designed to support the production of eligible crops for bioenergy and assist land owners and operators with the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of eligible material for use in biomass conversion facilities.
• BCAP is framed as a tool for climate mitigation because biomass is considered a carbon-neutral energy source that can replace fossil fuels, as it absorbs carbon dioxide during growth to offset the emissions released during burning.
• The 2018 Farm Bill authorized annual discretionary funding of $25 million for BCAP through fiscal year 2023, although no appropriations were provided for the program in FY 2023.
• Financial assistance for establishing eligible perennial crops is generally capped at 50 percent of costs or $500 per acre, though this limit increases to $750 per acre for socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.
• For the delivery of eligible material to conversion facilities, the Secretary may provide matching payments of up to $1 for every $1 per ton provided by the facility, with a maximum limit of $20 per dry ton for a 2-year period.
• Eligible material includes renewable biomass harvested from various lands, including the National Forest System, Bureau of Land Management land, non-Federal land, and certain Indian trust lands, provided it is harvested according to conservation or forest stewardship plans.
• BCAP contracts have specific duration limits: up to 5 years for annual and perennial crops, and up to 15 years for woody biomass.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2023). BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP). https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Biomass-Crop-Assistance-Program-BCAP.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP). 2023. https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Biomass-Crop-Assistance-Program-BCAP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP) |date=24 February 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Biomass-Crop-Assistance-Program-BCAP.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2023biomass, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP)}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Farm-Bill-2023-Side-by-Side-Biomass-Crop-Assistance-Program-BCAP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }