California Biomass Collaborative

What California Biomass Collaborative does

The California Biomass Collaborative (CBC) is a research and outreach program administered by UC Davis and sponsored by the California Energy Commission under the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. It functions as a neutral convener and information source for California's biomass and bioenergy sector, serving government agencies, industry participants, educational institutions, and environmental organizations. Its work centers on policy-relevant research, data dissemination, and stakeholder engagement rather than commercial product sales.

The collaborative operates two core technical assets. The California Biomass Facilities Reporting System is a public database, integrated with GIS mapping, that inventories biomass facilities across the state and supports spatial analysis of capacity, feedstock flows, and infrastructure. The Energy Cost Calculator is a web-based tool that allows users to model the economics of biomass and bioenergy projects. In parallel, CBC publishes research outputs and hosts an annual forum — running since 2004 — that convenes stakeholders across government, industry, academia, and environmental groups.

As a university-administered, grant-funded collaborative, CBC's financial model is anchored in state public-interest research appropriations channeled through UC Davis. Products and forums are provided to users without charge, so the entity has no direct pricing model, sales motion, or commercial customer base; its "customers" are effectively the CEC sponsor and the broader public it informs. Audience engagement is concentrated within California and oriented toward policy and informational outcomes rather than revenue generation.

Name

California Biomass Collaborative

Legal name

California Biomass Collaborative

Website

https://biomass.ucdavis.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

10,001+ employees

Short description

The California Biomass Collaborative is a UC Davis-administered, California Energy Commission-sponsored research program that maintains biomass facility data, economic modeling tools, and stakeholder forums for government, industry, academic, and environmental audiences in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomass Energy Research

NAICS

Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomass Plant Operations, Maintenance & Performance Services (O&M) (EUAAAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biomass Plant EPC & Integration (Design/Build, Balance of Plant) (EUAAAGAH), District Energy Biomass Plants (Heating Networks) (EUAAAGAB)

Keywords

• Biomass energy research
• Renewable energy coordination
• Bioenergy policy analysis
• Biomass facilities data
• Energy cost modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Institutional Funding: Sponsored by the California Energy Commission and other agency and industry partners. Administered for the state by the University of California, Davis. Funded through Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program and other California Energy Commission initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The California Biomass Collaborative is a statewide coordination body administered by UC Davis that enhances the sustainable management and development of biomass in California for renewable energy, biofuels, and products. It delivers free web-based tools including the California Biomass Facilities Reporting System (GIS-enabled facility database) and the Energy Cost Calculator (web and Excel-based financial models), supported by publications, equipment reviews, presentations, and an annual forum.

Product overview

California Biomass Collaborative is a statewide coordination organization administered by UC Davis that provides biomass energy data tools and resources. The core offerings include the California Biomass Facilities Reporting System (a GIS-enabled database of California's biomass facilities with environmental and performance data) and the Energy Cost Calculator (a web-based tool with downloadable Excel models for energy cost analysis across biomass, biogas, landfill gas, and hydrogen facilities). The Collaborative also provides equipment reviews, publications, presentations, and research reports on biomass energy in California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Biomass Facilities Reporting System contains data for 2005 with projections for 2010, 2017, and 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of California, DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministrative host of the California Biomass Collaborative. Located in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering. Provides institutional infrastructure, academic resources, and research expertise. Director Stephen Kaffka is extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences.
• UC Division of Agriculture and Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector Stephen Kaffka serves as chair of the BioEnergy Work Group for UC ANR, linking the Collaborative to the university's extension network across California.
• Bioenergy Interagency Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative contributes to this interagency group focused on bioenergy development in California. Director Kaffka serves as ex officio member of the working group.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Iowa State University Bioeconomy Institute: University-administered bioeconomy research collaborative conducting biomass feedstock analysis, conversion technology assessment, and bioenergy policy research. Highly comparable in structure (university-hosted, multi-stakeholder) and function (biomass data, technology evaluation, and policy support) to the California Biomass Collaborative.
• Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest: University of Washington-led regional bioenergy research collaborative focused on converting forest residues into biofuels. Mirrors the Collaborative's combination of forestry feedstock analysis, conversion technology R&D, and stakeholder coordination within a single university-administered program.
• Oregon State University College of Forestry — Wood Science & Engineering: University-based forestry and biomass utilization research group producing biomass resource assessments, conversion technology analysis, and policy-relevant publications for the Pacific West. Functionally analogous to the California Biomass Collaborative but with a regional Oregon/Washington focus.

Broad incumbents

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): U.S. Department of Energy national lab with the country's largest public biomass and bioenergy R&D program. Comparable to the California Biomass Collaborative as a publicly funded research body producing data, tools, and analysis on biomass conversion technologies, but operating at federal scale and across all renewable energy categories.
• USDA Forest Service Research & Development: Federal R&D arm producing forest inventory, biomass feedstock assessments, and utilization research. Overlaps with the Collaborative's forest biomass resource inventory work but covers all U.S. forests and broader forestry R&D.
• U.S. DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO): Federal program within DOE that funds and coordinates biomass and bioenergy R&D, technology deployment, and resource assessment nationally. Comparable in mission (biomass resource assessment, conversion technology evaluation, policy support) but operates federally rather than at the state level.

Regional players

• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA): New York State public-benefit corporation that funds and conducts renewable energy research, including biomass and bioenergy, and produces data tools and reports for state policy makers. Comparable as a state-level publicly funded energy research/coordination body, but with broader renewable scope and a different funding mechanism.

Others

• Great Plains Institute: Nonprofit energy policy organization that convenes multi-stakeholder bioenergy and carbon management initiatives across U.S. regions. Comparable convening/coordination function to the Collaborative, though broader in scope (bioenergy, CCS, hydrogen) and operating as an independent nonprofit rather than a university program.
• Sun Grant Initiative: USDA-affiliated university research consortium advancing biobased energy and products through regional centers. Comparable as a multi-university biomass coordination network with a research, extension, and education mandate, though operating at regional scale rather than a single state.
• Biomass Thermal Energy Council: U.S. trade association advancing biomass thermal energy. Adjacent rather than directly comparable — operates as an industry advocacy and education body rather than a data-and-research program, but covers overlapping biomass technology categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Biomass Collaborative