WIND AND BIOMASS TO DOMINATE RENEWABLE INDUSTRY

According to the Energy Information Administration, wind and biomass are poised to dominate the U.S. renewable energy industry, accounting for 33 percent of the energy generation growth from 2010 to 2035. Here are the details.

* Federal mandates for biomass-based transportation fuels via the Renewable Fuels Standard will help spur a four-fold growth in production by 2035. The EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard program, when first created under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, called for 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel to be blended into gasoline by 2012. In 2007, the program was expanded to require an increased volume of renewable fuel to be blended, from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons by 2022.

* Biomass is also expected to get a boost as co-firing biomass with coal increases in some regions, the EIA reported. Regions expected to see these increases are those with forestry residues and the Industrial combined-heat-and-power generation in the pulp and paper industry sectors.

* Wind generation is expected to double by 2035, the EIA stated, though the growth could slow if the production tax credit is allowed to expire.

* Solar is expected to increase nearly seven times by 2035, though it will still account for a small amount of electricity generation. The EIA's projections for solar reflect a 30 percent solar investment tax credit due to expire in 2016, and a more conservative 10 percent credit after.

* Driven mainly by individual state renewable portfolio standards and primarily available in the western states, geothermal production is also expected to see growth but remain a small part of the renewable equation, the EIA reported.

* Questions remain as to whether states will enforce their renewable requirements. In early February,the EIA issued a report showing 30 states have renewable portfolio standards that require a minimum amount of the share of electricity generation to come from renewable sources by a certain date, while seven more have voluntary goals for renewable generation.