Center for Energy Studies Assistant Professor of Research, Dr. Anurag Mandalika, has authored a white paper titled "The Biofuels Landscape in Louisiana."
This paper discusses biomass types and availability in the state, drawing from an analysis of the U.S. Department of Energy's Billion-Ton 23 (BT23) report, followed by an assessment of current and potential future biofuels production in Louisiana. Louisiana leads the nation in the production of renewable diesel, and biofuels contribute approximately 4.2% to primary energy production in the state. Deployment of announced biofuels projects has the potential to increase this contribution to approximately 9.2%. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production is likely to increase in the state with several project announcements focusing on this fuel. Based on the U.S. Department of Energy's SAF Grand Challenge target (producing 35 billion gallons by 2050 in the U.S.), the state can meet between 1% and 3% of this target in the near-term and medium-term scenarios of biomass production from BT23. The contribution of biofuels to energy generation in the state is likely limited to specific transportation applications such as aviation, maritime, long-haul trucking, etc.
Sustainable deployment of biofuels is not without challenges and concerns, and some of these are identified in this white paper, along with a consideration of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) for the industry in Louisiana.
