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Last update: December 6, 2009

In 2007, about 8.2 million acres of Wisconsin’s 15.2 million acres of land in farms was planted in field crops. The balance of this land was permanent pastures, woodlots, wetlands, farmsteads, and land in various set-aside programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  Both the active cropland and much of the additional land in farms has the potential to produce biomass for bioenergy.  Siting a bioenergy facility requires a determination as to whether an adequate amount of productive land is available within a reasonable distance, as dictated by transportation costs and logistics for moving bulk materials.  Additional considerations may arise out of “food versus fuel” discussions, but this is a societal debate, not one for individual growers who primarily respond to market signals and specific public policies. 

While the following maps examine several aspects of agricultural production, these maps only describe the resources that are potentially available in Wisconsin. The maps do not depict the current demand for different agricultural feedstocks or what can be used sustainably for bioenergy production.

Corn for Grain Harvested in 2007 According to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Wisconsin farmers planted 4,050,000 acres of corn and harvested 400.4 million bushels in 2007. While under scrutiny for a variety reasons, corn remains the primary feedstock for ethanol production in the United States. Corn-based ethanol may also help to establish the infrastructure for producing cellulosic ethanol from energy crops or other non-food biomass resources.		Soybeans Harvested in 2007 While biodiesel can be produced from a variety of biomass sources, soybeans are currently the largest feedstock. In 2007, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported that Wisconsin farmers planted 1,350,000 acres of soybeans and harvested 51.9 million bushels.
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Corn Stover Estimates in 2007 - 30 Percent Recovery Rate Corn stover is the residual stalks, leaves and other plant material remaining after corn is harvested. Stover has been examined as a potential bioenergy feedstock for both combustion and biofuel production. Sustainable recovery rates for corn stover will vary by area and tillage practices. A general 30 percent sustainable residue recovery rate is estimated for those areas using traditional plowing practices, but specific recovery rates may be higher or lower based on local characteristics.		Corn Stover Estimates in 2007 - 60 Percent Recovery Rate Corn stover is the residual stalks, leaves and other plant material remaining after corn is harvested. Stover has been examined as a potential bioenergy feedstock for both combustion and biofuel production. Sustainable recovery rates for corn stover will vary by area and tillage practices. A general 60 percent sustainable residue recovery rate is estimated for those areas using no-till plowing practices, but specific recovery rates may be higher or lower based on local characteristics.
Wisconsin PDF version JPEG version	United States PDF version JPEG version	Wisconsin PDF version JPEG version	United States PDF version JPEG version

 

Biofuel Production Facilities The following national maps show the locations of existing biodiesel and ethanol production facilities, as well as facilities under construction, along with selected feedstocks. Note that these maps may not reflect changes in the biofuel industries due to feedstock prices, demand for biofuels, and other market conditions.		Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) and Active Dairy Producer Density Methane produced through manure digestion is a potential bioenergy source for both electricity generation and biogas. Most manure digesters in the United States are found on large animal operations, many of which are classified as CAFO's (operations with 1,000+ animal units) . Other manure digestion efforts have looked at the feasibility of centralized projects that incorporate the waste of multiple mid-sized animal facilities. The map below examines the distribution of CAFO's in Wisconsin, as well as the number of active dairy producers within an 10-mile radius of any location in Wisconsin.
Biodiesel PDF version JPEG version	Ethanol PDF version JPEG version	Wisconsin PDF version JPEG version

Food Product Manufacturing In 2007, Wisconsin had almost 1,000 food product manufacturers. Residues from these facilities could provide feedstocks for a variety of renewable energy technologies, both on and off-site. While many of these manufacturers are located near Wisconsin's agricultural lands, a large number of value-added industries are also found in Wisconsin's urban areas. Food product manufacturing facilities are based on the Quarterly Census of Employment of Wages dataset disseminated by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
Wisconsin - Manufacturing Facilities PDF version JPEG version	Wisconsin - Concentration of Facilities JPEG version

 

 

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