Biomass & Bioenergy, Vol.14, No.4, 341-350, 1998
US bioenergy crop economic analyses: Status and needs
U.S. bioenergy crop production cost, supply curve, and transportation cost studies are summarized and compared. Production cost estimates range from <$22/dry Mg [$20/dry ton (dt)] to more than $110/dry Mg ($100/dry ton) depending on crop, region, yield and method of analysis. A detailed description of an ORNL study is presented as a representative production cost study. Three national supply curve estimates are compared; for a quantity of 110 million dry Mg (100 million dry tons), these studies estimate marginal bioenergy crop prices of $29/dry Mg ($26/dt) (farmgate), $46/dry Mg ($42/dt) (farmgate), and $55/dry Mg ($50/dt) (delivered). Three regional supply curve analyses are also discussed. Bioenergy crop transportation costs estimates range from $5.5/Mg ($5/dt) and $8/Mg ($7.27/dt) for a haul distance of 40 km (25 miles). The paper closes with a discussion of analytical needs.