Overview

Bioenergy is renewable energy derived from biological sources—to be used for heat, electricity, or vehicle fuel. Biofuel derived from plant materials is a significant component of these renewable energy technologies. The USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) has a broad range of research on how agricultural markets and natural resources have or could be affected by demand for bioenergy.  

ERS provides the following:

• Data about markets for bioenergy and other renewable energy sources;
• Research on bioenergy that encompasses all aspects of the agency's research mission;
• Ongoing analysis of the relevant commodity markets, as part of the ERS market outlook program; and
• Development of long-term supply and utilization estimates for biofuels in the Agricultural Baseline Projections.