Lack of electricity access is a major deterrent to economic growth in rural areas of developing and underdeveloped countries. Until last decade, the government's focus for enhancing electricity access was on augmenting fossil fuels and increasing centralized grid infrastructure leading to environmental and economic concerns. This paper, through a case study (BB Nagar block, Uttar Pradesh, India) investigates biomass resources in a rural area for decentralized power generation to reduce the dependence on imported fossil fuels by making them self-sufficient for energy needs and mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The study outlines a methodology to evaluate regional biomass availability and its power generation potential and assess the associated uncertainties by considering different scenarios. It further estimates the GHG emissions from biomass power and compares them with biomass-equivalent coal-based power. Results for different scenarios show that biomass power potential in the block varies from 6783.7 to 21,852.5 kW, with a baseline potential of 10,637 kW. Similarly, GHG emissions saving potential by using biomass for power instead of coal varies from 33,267.8 to 106,459.5 t CO2eq. y(-1) with a baseline saving of 51,956.4 t CO2eq.-1 (i.e., similar to 74% emission savings vis-a-vis coal). The biomass-based per-capita electricity potential for the block is estimated to be 655.1 kWh/capita, which is much higher than the current per-capita electricity consumption indicating that the block can be made self-sufficient using surplus biomass. The paper also highlights the obstacles that exist in the introduction of biomass as a replacement of fossil fuels and suggests recommendations for its greater implementation as a resource for power generation. The findings can help boost decentralized planning for energy self-sufficiency in rural areas by mapping bioenergy and emissions profiles covering diverse feedstocks.
