Northeast Regional Biomass Program

The Northeast Regional Biomass Program (NRBP) is a public-private, cooperative initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, which brings together the eleven northeastern states, the federal government, regional and national organizations, and key industrial concerns in the Northeast. Through a combination of research and demonstration projects, outreach and education, and assessment and partnership-building, the NRBP seeks to enhance the development and use of biomass resources and technologies in the Northeast.

The Northeast Regional Biomass Program is part of a broader federally supported program underway in five regions of the country. The NRBP focuses, however, on the specific types of biomass resources, environmental and economic market characteristics, and state policies and institutional frameworks that affect biomass opportunities in the northeastern United States. Numerous factors present unique opportunities and challenges to the use of biomass resources and technologies in the Northeast. These factors include the region’s: dependence on imported petroleum; movement to a restructured electricity industry; need to meet air quality attainment standards; interest in furthering environment- and energy-friendly technologies; and concerns for effective management of waste residue.

Current program activities include encouraging the production and use of biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel), establishing a biofuel refueling infrastructure; assisting in coordinating national, state, and local efforts to identify and quantify biomass resources, and providing education and demonstrations that contribute to greater use of biofuels, creation of local economic development opportunities, and improved air quality.

The CONEG Policy Research Center, Inc. is responsible for the management, oversight, and operation of the NRBP. The Center offers a number of organizational and institutional opportunities that complement the program's objectives of greater visibility, coordination, and outreach. Through the Center, the NRBP has timely access to state policy-makers, as well as insight into a wide range of energy, economic, and environmental issues and activities underway in the public and private sectors throughout the region. This access enables the NRBP to leverage the resources and results of state and regional initiatives that contribute to achievement of the program’s objectives.

For more information about the Northeast Regional Biomass Program, visit its web site at www.nrbp.org.