ABSTRACT
The United States appears to have a government solving the last century's problems by assuming oil and coal are unlimited resources that still need subsidization and that there is no hurry to develop renewable technology. The concern about carbon emissions places a cloud over the long-term future of coal. Some believe that in this century the energy competitions are going to be won by those who understand how to develop new technology, deploy new technology, and get the benefits of exporting that technology to the rest of the world. Biomass can be used as a renewable fuel to provide electricity using existing heat-to-power technology. However, its value to the United States as a feed stock for biofuels for transportation may be much higher, given the increasing prices of oil and the future beyond peak oil.
