Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Leap: Land Endowment Action Plan For Sustainable Colby, Victoria Palffy

Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics at Colby

This paper proposes that Colby College purchase land endowments to fuel its recently constructed campus biomass plant. Rather than contract with a third party, the college should invest in 30,000 acres² and sustainably harvest its own renewable fuel. Beyond this, LEAP, the land endowment action plan, presents an opportunity to improve forest health, conserve valuable ecosystems, implement major additions to the curriculum, gain fuel independence, and create a constant annual revenue stream. With a 40-year payback period, the long-term investment brings profits of over $260 million in its 100-year outlook.

Exploring The Potential To Penetrate The Energy Market For Tennessee-Produced Switchgrass, Fnu Shikha

Masters Theses

The need for alternative sources of energy which are renewable and environmentally friendly has focused attention on the development of biomass-based energy sector. Lignocellulosic energy crops such as switchgrass are considered potential feedstock for biomass-based energy because of wide range adaptability in conjunction with lower input requirements. However, the costs of the collection, storage, and transportation of the low density feedstock from farm to conversion facilities in the switchgrass supply chain pose a major barrier to the development of bioenergy sector.

The objective of the present study is to determine the optimal logistics configuration for Tennessee-produced switchgrass to penetrate the …