Economic and Environmental Analyses of Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products in the Northeastern United States

mixed-integer programming model was developed to optimize forest carbon sequestration considering carbon price, biomass price, harvest area restriction, and harvest method. The model was applied to examine the harvest scheduling strategies and carbon sequestration in a mixed central Appalachian hardwood forest. Sensitivity analyses were conducted over a range of carbon and biomass to timber price ratios, harvest area limitations and harvest methods. The results showed that the carbon sequestration rate of the central Appalachian hardwood forests could gradually increase as the carbon to timber price ratio changed from 0.0 to 1.0 with an average sequestration rate of 0.917 Mg·ha -1·year-1. The rise of biomass to timber price ratio reduces the carbon sequestration potential. Additionally, the carbon sequestration potential would decrease when harvest area limitation varied from 0 (no harvest) to 100 ha. The decrease could be 97.4% and 70.8% respectively when the carbon to timber price ratios were 0.0 and 0.25. Low intensity partial cut could have a higher carbon sequestration rate comparing with clearcutting when the carbon to timber price ratio was low.;We analyzed the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of an alternative technology that converts coal and biomass to liquid fuels (CBTL), using West Virginia as a real case scenario with considerations of woody biomass harvest scheduling optimization, feedstock transportation and siting options of potential CBTL plants. Sensitivity analyses on required selling price (RSP) were conducted according to feedstock availability and price, biomass to coal mix ratio, liquid fuel yield, IRR, capital cost, operational and maintenance cost. A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) model was also developed to analyze the environment benefits of the CBTL processes. The study of siting and capacity showed that feedstock mixed ratio limited the CBTL production. Sensitivity analysis on RSP showed the price of coal had more dominant effect than that of biomass. Different biomass mixed ratio in the feedstock and liquid fuel yield led to RSP ranging from ;A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model and life cycle assessment (LCA) model were developed to analyze economic and environmental benefits by utilizing forest residues for small scale production of bioenergy in West Virginia. The MILP was developed to optimize the costs and required selling price of biofuels under different strategies. The cradle-to-gate LCA was developed to examine the greenhouse gas emissions, blue water and fossil energy consumption associated with the biomass utilization. The RSP in base case was ;Finally, a modeling process was developed to examine the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing energy crops for biofuels and bio-products. Three energy crops (hybrid willow, switchgrass and miscanthus) that can potentially grow on marginal agricultural land or abandoned mine land in the Northeastern United States were considered in the analytical process for the production of biofuels, biopower and pellet fuel. The supply chain components for both the economic and life cycle modeling processes include feedstock establishment, harvest, transportation, storage, preprocessing, energy conversion, distribution and final usage. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted to assess the effects of energy crop yield, transportation distance, bioproduct yield, different pretreatments, facility capacity and internal rate of return (IRR) on the production of bioenergy products. The RSPs were ranged from...