Renewable energy is projected to constitute 23% of U.S. electricity generation in 2024, rising to 25% in 2025, as per the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest Short-Term Energy Outlook released on June 11. In 2023, renewables accounted for 21% of U.S. electricity generation.
Biomass is forecasted to contribute approximately 2.23% of the U.S. renewable electricity generation in 2024, decreasing slightly to 2.04% by 2025. This marks a decline from the 2.44% share in 2023.
The EIA anticipates that biomass will generate 2.14 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in both 2024 and 2025, up from 21.1 billion kWh in 2023. As of the end of 2023, the electric power sector maintained 2.9 gigawatts (GW) of waste biomass capacity and 2.3 GW of wood biomass power capacity, with these levels expected to remain constant through 2025.
The industrial and commercial sectors had 5.2 GW of wood biomass capacity by the end of 2023, projected to increase to 5.3 GW by the end of 2024 and maintained at that level in 2025. Wood biomass capacity was 1.4 GW in 2023 and is expected to remain at that level in 2024, decreasing to 1.3 GW in 2025.
In 2023, the electric power sector consumed 0.167 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of waste biomass, with consumption projected to remain steady in 2024 before dropping slightly to 0.165 quad in 2025. The sector’s wood biomass consumption was 0.162 quad last year, expected to rise to 0.172 quad in 2024 and 0.174 quad in 2025.
The industrial sector consumed 0.16 quad of waste biomass in 2023, with this level expected to continue through 2025. Wood biomass consumption in this sector was 1.224 quad last year, anticipated to increase to 1.32 quad in 2024 and 1.375 quad in 2025.
The commercial sector consumed 0.071 quad of waste biomass and 0.082 quad of wood biomass in 2023, with these levels expected to remain stable in both 2024 and 2025.
In the residential sector, wood biomass consumption is projected to be 0.443 quad in both 2024 and 2025, slightly down from 0.45 quad in 2023.
Overall, across all sectors, waste biomass consumption was 0.398 quad in 2023 and is projected to increase marginally to 0.399 quad in 2024 before dropping to 0.396 quad in 2025. Wood biomass consumption was 1.918 quad in 2023, expected to expand to 2.017 quad in 2024 and 2.075 quad in 2025.
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