Biomass better used for heating, not electricity

Dec. 2, 2011 – A new study released in the Environmental Science &
Technology journal suggests that if biomass is used as an alternative to
home heating oil, rather than as a source of electricity, it would be cheaper to reduce greenhouse gases.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University compared to total cost to eliminate a ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by firing biomass in a coal plant and comparing it to using it as an alternative to home heating oil. By calculating all the steps involved in producing the pellets, transportation, equipment costs, etc.

According to an article in Chemical and Engineering News, the researchers found that saving a ton of CO₂
costs $149 when a power plant substitutes biomass for coal. But
replacing fuel oil boilers with ones that burn biomass  saves
$52 for every ton of CO₂ abated.