Supply of cellulosic biofuel feedstocks and regional production pattern

Interest in cellulosic biofuels has grown due to recent concerns about the impact of expanding production of corn ethanol on food prices and the greater potential of cellulosic biofuels to mitigate climate change. The supply of various feedstocks and location of biomass production is determined simultaneously with the most profitable use of the land given the demands for food, feed, fuel, and livestock production at various biomass prices. BEPAM includes major row crops and livestock and considers biomass from two crop residues, corn stover and wheat straw, and two perennial grasses, switchgrass and miscanthus. Demand functions for domestic consumption and for exports and imports of tradable commodities are specified for individual commodities, including crop and livestock products. The simulation model incorporates data on costs of producing crop and livestock commodities for each of the 295 CRDs at 2007 prices for fifteen major row crops in the US, alfalfa, and two bioenergy crops, switchgrass and miscanthus.