The biomass power industry in the United States has grown from less than 200 MW in 1979 to more than 6000 MW in 1990, primarily as a result of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. The United States Department of Energy (USDOE) is projecting installed capacity will grow to about 22 GW by the year 2010, with environmental considerations (carbon dioxide neutrality, low sulfur dioxide emissions and low nitrogen oxides emissions) being the primary driving force. The primary conversion technologies being developed in the United States are gasification-combined cycle systems, pyrolysis oil-combined cycle systems, and advanced direct combustion systems. The USDOE program has the objective of reducing the risks associated with commercializing new technologies and feedstocks for power production. The program is divided into two areas: research and development and systems analysis. The major research and development program is in the area of hot-gas cleanup, while the systems analysis area is concentrating on gasifier scale-up and site-specific commercial feasibility studies.
