Biomass is an increasingly important source of electricity, heat, and liquid fuel. One near-term option for using biomass to generate electricity is to cofire biomass in coal-fired electricity plants. This report focuses on two aspects of biomass use: plant-site modifications, changes in operations, and costs associated with cofiring biomass; and the logistical issues associated with delivering biomass to the plant.

In January 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security inaugurated a new system for tracking foreign visitors at Ports of entry to the United States, the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program. Building on previous RAND research and a case study of similar requirements in France in The 1980s and 1990s, this paper discusses policy issues raised by US-VISIT, including its effects on national security, privacy, and trade and tourism