The journey to the next-generation of bioeconomy: The US perspective

What are the prospects for the new bioeconomy? This chapter will attempt to examine the state of current bio energy platforms in the United States, the impact of the “New Biology” on the biomass conversion technologies, and in particular on cellulosic conversion, and discuss some of the next generation fuels and bioproducts that will likely be produced in the biorefinery of the future. A biorefinery is herein defined as a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power and chemicals from biomass. The biorefinery concept is analogous to today’s petroleum refineries, which produce multiple fuels and chemical products from petroleum. A smart biorefinery is one that is able to utilize multiple feedstocks as a function of availability and cost.