Biochar Potential from Wildfire Crisis Wastes and Woody Energy Crop Wastes

As the United States charts a course towards net-zero targets, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) will release the latest biomass assessment, the Billion-ton 2023 (BT23) report. These reports provide an advancement in the understanding of quantity, spatial distribution, and economic accessibility of biomass resources in the U.S. Building on this work, we present the potential for biomass resources to contribute to biochar production that can be used for agricultural soil amendments, as well as biomass used for energy and bioproducts. Through modeling using a partial-equilibrium linear programming model, we evaluate biomass resources on agricultural land. With producer responses to biochar market incentives and sustainability considerations, residues from these biomass resources can be leveraged for biochar boosting the sustainability of the energy crop system. This research also introduces the potential for biochar from Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS) generated biomass, an unprecedented effort by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to make wildfire-prone forests more resilient. We estimate biomass availability resulting from thinning and fuel reduction treatments on western landscapes and present this research as a potential case study for sourcing biochar material as a soil amendment. Beyond energy generation, the focus of this work is on co-production of bioproducts and creating a pathway for payments that contribute to more sustainable agricultural systems. This dual-use strategy not only fortifies the development of renewable energy systems but also accentuates the importance of resilience by incorporating biochar to enhance soil health and carbon sequestration.