Renewable Biomass Power Production Would Grow Almost 7-Fold Under Bingaman Bill

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) asked the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to analyze his clean energy standard legislation to see how it might reshape the electric power industry, affect energy prices, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through 2035.

In March, Senator Bingaman introduced his long-awaited Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 (S. 2146) . The bill would require the largest electric utilities to produce gradually increasing amounts of electricity from low carbon emission and zero carbon emission technologies. The bill would encourage increased power production from biomass, urban and rural waste and residue streams, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants, among other technologies. For additional background on the bill, see EESI’s post from March 5 .

In the EIA analysis, released May 2, the EIA found that power generation from wood and other biomass would grow from about 38 billion kilowatt hours (KWH) in 2010 to 257 billion KWH by 2035 – producing almost 45 percent (80 billion KWH) more per year than under the reference scenario.

In addition, the EIA found that power production from coal would drop sharply while power production from natural gas, nuclear, wind, and biomass would increase the most. Electricity prices would not be significantly impacted until after 2020 and would increase modestly to 18 percent above the reference case by 2035. Greenhouse gas emissions from the electric power sector would be reduced 44 percent below the reference case by 2035. The EIA assumed in its modeling that biomass generation is carbon neutral.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which Senator Bingaman chairs, will hold a hearing on the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 (S. 2146) at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern) on May 17. The hearing will be televised .