Economic comparative advantage of willow biomass in the Northeast USA
Open accessAbstract
We evaluate the potential economic availability of willow (Salix spp.) short‐rotation woody crops in the Northeast USA. Based on results from a 20‐year agronomic simulation, the Northeast USA could potentially provide between 2.1 and 9.7 million dry Mg year−1, depending on farmgate price and competition with other energy crops. In a diversified biomass energy‐crop scenario, willow outperforms other lignocellulosic energy crops in planted area and production at 91% of supply and 83% of planted area in a low‐price scenario in the Northeast USA. In a high‐price scenario, willow also outperforms competing energy crops at 47% of production and 51% of planted area. In contrast with the rest of the USA, willow comprises the greatest portion of energy crop potential in the Northeast. These results suggest that willow has an agronomic comparative advantage in this region as compared to herbaceous energy crops, with great potential to increase production given adequate market prices. © 2018 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Willow is already being produced for biopower on about 500 ha in the Northeast.
“We think willow is suitable because it is already being produced for biopower on about 500 ha in the Northeast. 25”
From Mobilizing mine lands for biobased decarbonization strategies (2025) · cites this paper as [25]
The References section (page unavailable) lists a work titled “Commercial Willow Production for Biopower in Northern NY State,” supporting the point that willow is produced for biopower in the Northeast. Neither that listing nor the paper’s Results and discussion (page unavailable) establishes an existing area of about 500 ha; the reported hectares are projections from a 20-year simulation. (LLM, conf=0.78)
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Langholtz, M., Eaton, L., Davis, M., Shedden, M., Brandt, C., Volk, T., & Richard, T.
- Affiliations
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US)
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse New York USA
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Langholtz, Matthew
- Venue
- Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2018-10-11
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 74-85
- ISSN
- 1932-1031 (ISSN-L)
- 1932-104X
- OpenAlex
- W2896978354
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 2.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Biofuels Bioproducts and Biorefining (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (2012-68005-19703)
- Northeast Woody Biomass Energy Consortium
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Forest Biomass Utilization and Management
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Keywords
- willow, short rotation woody crops, energy crops, lignocellulosic biomass, farm-gate prices, northeastern United States
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