Smart Grid Markets: Biomass Expected to Hit $53 Billion by 2020

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While biomass has never had the glamour quotient of wind, solar and other renewable energy technologies, the market value of electricity generated from it is expected to reach $53 billion by 2020, a jump from about $45 billion in 2010. Those findings are from a new report by Pike Research entitled Biomass Markets and Technologies. The surge in biomass comes from major investments in R&D, the rate of commercialization of new biomass technologies and government policies. The report notes the growth is expected to come in three primary areas: power generation, biofuels and bioproducts. Biomass can be anything from animal manure and agricultural and food industry wastes to terrestrial and aquatic energy crops.

Quick Take: Creating energy from cow manure, algae or the contents of your local dump may not be as pretty as solar panels glimmering in the sun or turbine blades spinning lazily in the wind, but biomass technologies have been showing increasing promise as reliable, sustainable and affordable sources of fuels, power and other products.

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