Description
Book SynopsisRecent concerns about energy security in the US have drawn greater attention to agriculture's role as a producer and consumer of energy. Agriculturally-derived energy sources such as ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, and windpower presently supply between 0.3% and 0.5% of the energy consumed in the US. Organized into two parts, the first section of this book examines agriculture's role as a producer and consumer of energy, the integration of biomass energy into the US energy systems, a policy overview, and outlooks for energy production and consumption. The second section is a compendium of current research including the economic viability of ethanol and biodiesel; energy conservation and efficiency in agriculture; new methods and technologies; and environmental impacts and considerations.
Table of ContentsPart I: Survey of Current Knowledge 1.1: Energy and Agriculture at the Crossroads of a New Future 1.2: Agriculture as a Producer of Energy 1.3: Energy Consumption in US Agriculture 1.4: Energy Systems Integration: Fitting Biomass Energy from Agriculture into US Energy Systems 1.5: US Oil and Gas Markets: A Scenario for Future Strong Inter-fuel Competition Part II: Current Research about Agriculture and Energy Section 1: The Economics of Ethanol and Biodiesel from Grain 2.1.1: Dry-Grind Ethanol Plant Economics and Sensitivity 2.1.2: An Econometric Analysis of the Impact of the Expansion in the US Production of Ethanol from Maize and Biodiesel from Soyabeans on Major Agricultural Variables, 2005-2015 2.1.3: Ethanol Policies, Programs and Production in Canada Section 2: The Economics of Ethanol from Lignocellulosic Sources 2.2.1: Economic Analysis of Alternative Lignocellulosic Sources for Ethanol Production 2.2.2: The Supply of Maize Stover in the Midwestern United States 2.2.3: Economic Modelling of a Lignocellulosic Biomass Biorefining Industry 2.2.4: Economic Impacts of Ethanol Production from Maize Stover in Selected Midwestern States Section 3: Energy Conservation and Efficiency in Agriculture 2.3.1: Livestock Watering with Renewable Energy Systems 2.3.2: Trends in US Poultry Housing for Energy Conservation Section 4: New Methods and Technologies 2.4.1: Experiences Co-firing Grasses in Existing Coal-fired Power Plants 2.4.2: Animal Waste as a Source of Renewable Energy 2.4.3: Development of Genetically Engineered Stress Tolerant Ethanologenic Yeasts using Integrated Functional Genomics for Effective Biomass Conversion to Ethanol 2.4.4: Case Studies of Rural Electric Cooperatives’ Experiences with Bioenergy Section 5: Environmental Impacts and Considerations 2.5.1: Potential for Biofuel-based Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation: Rationale and Potential 2.5.2: Life Cycle Assessment of Integrated Biorefinery-Cropping Systems: All Biomass is Local 3: Glossary
