Renewables are expected to account for 25 percent of U.S. electricity generation next year, up from 22 percent in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released Oct. 11. Renewables accounted for 22 percent of U.S. electricity generation in 2022.
Biomass electricity generation is currently expected to reach 23.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) this year, increasing to 24.6 billion kWh in 2024. Biomass was used to generate 26.7 billion kWh of electricity last year.
The U.S. electric power sector had approximately 2.9 gigawatts (GW) of waste biomass production capacity in place as of the end of 2022. Waste biomass capacity is expected to increase to 3 GW this year and be maintained at that level through 2023. The sector also had 2.4 GW of wood biomass capacity in place last year, with that level of capacity expected to be maintained through 2023 and 2024.
The industrial sector is expected to have 5.4 GW of wood biomass capacity in place this year and next year, flat with 2022. The sector also had 1.4 GW of waste biomass capacity in place in 2022, with capacity expected to fall to 1.3 GW this year and be maintained at that level in 2024.
The electric power sector consumed 0.213 quadrillion Btus of waste biomass last year, with consumption expected to fall to 0.189 quad this year, partially rebounding to 0.192 quad next year. The sector also consumed 0.2 quad of wood biomass in 2022, with consumption expected to fall to 0.177 quad in 2023 and reach 0.19 quad in 2024.
The industrial sector consumed 0.161 quad of waste biomass last year, with consumption expected to reach 0.162 quad this year and return to 0.161 quad next year. The sector also consumed 1.278 quad of wood biomass in 2022, with consumption expected to fall to 1.252 quad this year and increase to 1.347 quad next year.
The commercial sector is expected to consume 0.04 quad of waste biomass in 2023, increasing to 0.044 quad in 2024. The sector consumed 0.037 quad of waste biomass in 2022. The commercial sector also consumed 0.083 quad of wood biomass last year, with consumption expected to fall to 0.082 this year and remain at that level in 2024.
The residential sector is expected to consume 0.436 quad of wood biomass in both 2023 and 2024, up from 0.422 quad in 2022.
Across all sectors, waste biomass consumption was at 0.411 quad in 2022 and is expected to fall to 0.394 quad this year and reach 0.396 quad next year. Wood biomass consumption is expected to reach 1.948 quad in 2023, increasing to 2.055 quad in 2024. Wood biomass consumption was at 1.984 quad in 2022.
