Willow Woody Biomass
Biomass Crop Assistance Program
Sustainable commercial production of willow biomass crops in northern New York State is being catalyzed by the USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). This program is helping landowners to overcome the challenges of growing a new dedicated energy crop. The broad goals of BCAP are to improve domestic energy security, reduce atmospheric carbon pollution and spur rural economic development by providing assistance to land owners who establish and produce new biomass feedstocks such as shrub willow. This also creates innovations and increases awareness and adoption of the new crop. There are about 1150 acres of willow crops enrolled in BCAP in northern NY, with production spread across Jefferson, Lewis, and Oneida counties, situated around biopower facilities owned by ReEnergy Holdings LLC. A successful BCAP program in 2012 paired biomass producers with an end-user in ReEnergy who contracted to purchase all willow produced from these plantings for an eleven-year period, creating market stability. BCAP assists landowners through partial establishment grants to cover a percentage of crop establishment costs, as well as annual acreage incentive payments based on soil conservation rates. SUNY ESF, with support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium (NEWBio), is providing a range of extension services to assist current and potential growers produce this new crop.
Program Status
BCAP funding for the NY project region is currently unavailable. Please browse the resources on this website and contact SUNY-ESF at willow@esf.edu or (315) 470-6775 for a free consultation or to be notified if more funding comes available.
Annual Reports
Information
- ReEnergy Biopower Facilities and Shrub Willow
- USDA FSA BCAP Project Area 10 Overview
- BCAP Incentives for New Land Enrollments
- Steps to Participate in USDA BCAP
- Call for Acreage and Event Schedule
- County USDA FSA Contacts
- Sample willow purchasing agreement
- Commercial Willow in New York State
- Press Release
- Facts Sheets