Woody biomass use for biopower and its impact on forest resources

Ashkan Mirzaee, Ronald McGarvey & Francisco Aguilar

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Abstract

Energy derived from woody biomass is a major source of renewable energy in the U.S. Its use in biopower has experienced significant growth in recent decades. In spite of the ample use of wood in biopower, knowledge about its estimated impact on forest resources is limited. In this research, statistical analyses are performed to evaluate changes in forest attributes over time within wood procurement areas. An MILP model is then developed to minimize the total cost of generating the required electricity projected to be demanded by the EIA through 2030, with environmental and spatially-explicit woody biomass availability constraints.

Presentation

More details about the conference presentation at INFORMS Annual Meeting 2018 is available in here.