Regional Economic Analysis of Feedstock Production and Procession in Pacific NW -- Expected Economic Impact

This project will use feedstock production data to develop a regional economic analysis focused on the biofuel industry. The project team's regional (computable general equilibrium (CGE)) models will inform policy recommendations regarding the most efficient use of our resources given current technology and prices. For example, in the case of biodiesel, price information that will determine its economic viability in a given region includes: the price of oilseed produced in the region, the imported oilseed price, the imported price of other alternative feedstocks for biodiesel like palm oil, the regional price of biodiesel, the regional price of ordinary diesel, and the net return of other crops in the region with which oilseeds must compete. The project team will simulate the supply response of a given biofuel (in this case biodiesel) to different combinations of the above-noted prices. General equilibrium models are very well suited for this kind of simulation analysis; only by conducting this kind of simulation can the economic viability of a particular biofuel be determined under a broad range of economic conditions. The project team will also examine the issue of possible subsidies to farmers and biofuel producers that may be necessary to make in-state biofuel production competitive with other alternatives. The economic benefits to each state generated by multiplier effects from the biofuel program, and the economic implications of those changes for household welfare, will also be measured. CGE analysis is particularly adept at measuring the productivity changes in feedstock production and biofuel refining that are likely to be necessary in order to make biofuels competitive with fossil fuels.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Advanced Research, Biobased Research

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $200000.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  Department of Transportation
  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Johnson, Shawn

• Performing Organizations:

  Washington State University, Pullman

  Pullman, WA  United States  99164
• Principal Investigators:

  Holland, David

• Start Date: 20071001
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20090930
• Source Data: RiP Project 31332

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternate fuels; Biodiesel fuels; Crops; Economic analysis; Economic benefits; Ethanol; Production methods; Subsidies
• Uncontrolled Terms: Feedstock
• Geographic Terms: Pacific Northwest
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01572232
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP
• Created Date: Aug 4 2015 1:01AM