In the United States, wood currently used for energy is primarily for residential heating purposes, with some industrial heat, steam, and electricity uses (table 1). The USDA Forest Service reports that total fuelwood use declined between 1986 and 2000, but is projected to increase steadily by 2050 (3.46 billion ft3; ~ 51.9 million dry tons). Residential fuelwood use is projected to increase slowly (2.94 billion ft3; ~ 44.1 million dry tons), and industrial, commercial, and utility use of fuelwood is projected to steadily increase to 0.52 billion ft3 (~ 7.8 million dry tons) by 2050 (Haynes, 2003). Hardwood species are the principal source of fuelwood. About 35% of the fuelwood harvested comes from growing stock while the remainder comes from non-growing stock wood sources such as rough, rotten, and dead material. Regionally, the South is the largest user of fuelwood with the Northeast second in use.
The Forest Service projections of fuelwood use are tied to the Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration projections of wood energy use. Changes in policy, such as the establishment of renewable portfolio standards for electricity generation, could substantially alter the amount of fuelwood used for energy purposes.
Forest Service projects are based on commercial production and use of fuelwood. Residential use of fuelwood might be significantly greater due to the collection and use of wood on private timberlands for the personal use of the land owner, but data is insufficient to evaluate the extent to which this occurs (EIA, 1995).