1. Woody Biomass Energy in North Carolina Mark Megalos James Jeuck Extension Forestry North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
3. Our Appetite for NonRenewable Fossil Fuels The U.S. uses about 25% of world oil production, but we have only about 2.5% of the world’s supply * . * Based on June 2007 world cosumption & 2005 reserves
19. Benefits to You in a Nutshell Bottom Line – You may never receive a lot of income directly from biomass markets, but they can help you manage your stands for high-value timber products & wildlife.
In contrast to conventional energy: the capital cost and cost per kWh of electricity from renewable energy resources has steadily and reliably come down. Wind power has dropped from $0.35/kWh in 1980 to between $0.035 and $0.10/kWh today. Over the next 10 years, fossil fuel and nuclear prices will either remain steady or increase, while the cost of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies will continue to decline. The US DOE estimates biomass, small hydropower and wind power will all fall below the utility’s avoided cost rates before 2015. We have seen indications of this in Austin, TX, where green power is cheaper than utility power, so they have a waiting list of utility customers who want cheaper energy from renewables. When a utility includes renewable energy resources in their energy generation portfolio, renewable energy will act as a hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices, and reduces the financial risk of a utility. Renewable energy will have a stabilizing effect on NC’s energy prices.