Citation

Jenkins, B. M., Horsfield, B. C., Dobie, J. B., and G. Miller. Agricultural residues: renewable energy for utility power companies. Trans. ASAE 24: 197-201, 207, 1981.

Abstract

Two major conclusions result from this research. The first is that currently available technology can collect and deliver agricultural and forest residues for use as fuels at prices per unit of energy that will compete directly with foreign oil and natural gas and domestically mined coal. Residues will compete directly with all fossil utility fuels if oil and gas are deregulated. Residues will not occupy the share of the utility fuel market that fossil fuels do, but can contribute significantly to offsetting the use of foreign oil and gas and delaying construction of coalfired facilities. Use of residues by utilities will provide a firm market for the volume of residues generated and greatly assist growers in disposing of residues as alternative disposal techniques become unavailable. Utilities can also serve as energy "sinks" for electricity or gas produced from residues by the growers themselves. Future technology developments along the lines discussed here (e.g. total harvest) will improve the economic and technical viability of residue utilization systems. Advanced concepts are already being demonstrated outside the U.S. Utilization of residues does not require the use of exotic technologies. Conventional equipment can be employed from harvest through conversion. Although this study was conducted for the California situation, the economic results of this study are just as applicable to agricultural

Country, State, District, etc.

United States, California

Language

English

Material

rice straw, wheat straw, barley straw, corn stover, sorghum stover, cotton stalks

Use category

energy production