High-Value Renewable Energy from Prairie Grasses

Projected economic benefits of renewable energy derived from a native prairie grass, switchgrass, include nonmarket values that can reduce net fuel costs to near zero. At a farm gate price of 44. 00/dry Mg, an agricultural sector model predicts higher profits for switchgrass than conventional crops on 16. 9 million hectares (ha). Benefits would include an annual increase of 6 billion in net farm returns, a 1. 86 billion reduction in government subsidies, and displacement of 44-159 Tg/year (1 Tg = 1012 g) of greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporating these values into the pricing structure for switchgrass bioenergy could accelerate commercialization and provide net benefits to the U. S. economy.