The Bio-Based Energy Analysis Group (BEAG) is a trans-disciplinary research and outreach group housed in The University of Tennessee's Institute of Agriculture. BEAG provides decision-makers in both government and industry with the latest economic, environmental, and policy analysis of the bio-based energy industry at local, state, regional, and national levels. The BEAG mission is to discover and disseminate knowledge that supports the bio-economy through the development of sustainable bio-based and renewable energy markets using holistic modeling approaches and quantitative analysis.

Biomass is a renewable resource consisting of plant matter such as trees, grasses, agricultural residues, and other biologic materials. Biomass can be converted to energy in the form of either electricity or transportation fuel. Bio-based energy has the potential to create jobs, increase economic development, and reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. Tennessee and the southern U.S. are well-suited to producing biomass and enjoy a comparative advantage over many other regions.

To achieve this mission, BEAG brings together a multidisciplinary group of individuals to address the various questions surrounding the use of biomass for energy production. The diverse expertise of BEAG personnel enable it to address a wide range of bio-energy questions using an array of hierarchically and horizontally integrative models and analyses of the bio-based industry. BEAG capabilities include:

• Consumer acceptance and demand for alternative energy technologies
• Economic analysis and assessment of emerging energy technologies incorporating business structure and risk analysis
• Energy supply and demand, logistics, new crop technology assessment
• Bioenergy policy
• Impacts of new generation sources on rural and economic development
• System sustainability metrics