County-Level Biomass Resource Estimates for the United States

A source of county-level estimates of biomass resources across the United States. It includes feedstock categories such as crop residues, forest residues, and urban wood waste. The data is derived from USDA, Forest Service, and EPA statistics processed with relevant assumptions.

Use Cases

• Map the spatial distribution of crop residues and forest residues across U.S. counties to identify high-potential biomass regions.
• Analyze the relative availability of primary mill residues versus secondary mill residues to inform supply chain planning.
• Estimate the potential contribution of urban wood waste to renewable energy production at a county level.
• Model biomass feedstock availability by integrating county-level estimates of multiple feedstock categories for bioenergy project siting.

Strengths

• Data is derived from authoritative sources including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA.
• Covers multiple analytically distinct feedstock categories such as crop residues and urban wood waste.
• Provides a geospatial (county-level) resolution for the entire United States.

Limitations

• The specific row count, column count, and data size are unknown, limiting assessment of granularity.
• Estimates are based on processed statistics and assumptions, not direct measurements, which may introduce modeling error.
• The primary file format is listed as BIN, which may require specialized GIS tools for access and analysis.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Department of Energy (NREL).

Collection Method

Estimates based on county-level statistics and point-source data from USDA, USDA Forest Service, EPA, and other organizations, processed with relevant assumptions and conversions.

Freshness

Last updated March 21, 2026.

Geography

United States, at the county level.