Profile Picture

Erin Searcy, Ph.D.

Research Areas:
Bioenergy Technologies; Analysis and Sustainability; Bioenergy Leadership

Biography:

Dr. Erin Searcy is currently the Bioenergy Technologies Department Manager at the Idaho National Lab.  Dr. Searcy has had several roles at INL since joining in 2008, including Bioenergy Platform Analysis Lead, principle investigator on several biomass feedstock logistics and sustainability projects, and techno-economic analyst. Dr. Searcy spent almost three years supporting the Bioenergy Technologies Office in Washington, D.C., as a management and operations person employed by the INL.

After completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering, Dr. Searcy worked as an environmental engineering consultant. She holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, and acted as a sessional instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta.

Digital Profiles:
Education:
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering - University of Alberta
M.S., Environmental Engineering - University of Manitoba
B.S., Biosystems Engineering - University of Manitoba
Publications:

Searcy, E, P Lamers, J Hansen, J Jacobson, JR Hess, and E Webb. 2015. Advanced Feestock Supply System Validation Workshop Summary Report.  INL/EXT-10-18930. Available at www.bioenergy.inl.gov.

 

Lamers P, Tan E, Searcy E, Hansen J, Scarlata C, Cafferty K, Jacobson J. 2015. Strategic supply system design—a holistic evaluation of operational and production cost for a biorefinery supply chain. Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining. DOI:10.1002/bbb.1575.


Searcy E, Hess JR, Tumuluru J, Ovard L, Muth D, Trømborg E, Wild M, Deutmeyer M, Nikolaisen L, Ranta T, Hoefnagels E. Chapter 5: Optimization of Biomass Transport and Logistics. M. Junginger et al. (eds.), International Bioenergy Trade: History, status & outlook on securing sustainable bioenergy supply, demand and markets, Lecture Notes in Energy 17, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6982-3_5, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014.


Nguyen L, Cafferty K, Searcy E, et al. 2014. Uncertainties in Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Advanced Biomass Feedstock Logistics Supply Chains in Kansas. Energies 7: 7125-7146.


Hoefnagels E, Searcy E, Cornelissen T, Junginger M, Jacobson J, Faaij A. 2014. Lignocellulosic feedstock supply systems with intermodal and overseas transportation: Fischer-Tropsch diesel production from internationally sourced biomass. Biofuels, Bioproduction, and Biorefining 27. DOI: 10.1002/bbb.1497.


Lignocellulosic feedstock supply systems with intermodal and overseas transportation: Fischer-Tropsch diesel production from internationally sourced biomass. Biofuels, Bioproduction, and Biorefining 27. DOI: 10.1002/bbb.1497.


 

Roni M, Eksioglu S, Searcy E, Jha K. 2014. A supply chain network design model for biomass co-firing in coal-fired power plants. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review 61: 115–134.


 

Muth D, Langholtz M, Argo A, Tan E, Dutta A, Eaton L, Brandt C, Jacobson J, Searcy E, et al. 2014. Investigation of Thermochemical Biorefinery Sizing and Environmental Sustainability Impacts for Conventional Supply System and Distributed Preprocessing Supply System Designs. Biofuels, Bioproduction, and Biorefining 8:4, 545-567. DOI: 10.1002/bbb.


 

Searcy E, Hess JR, Tumuluru J, Ovard L, Muth DJ, Trømborg E, Wild M, Deutmeyer M, Nikolaisen L, Ranta T, Hoefnagels E. Chapter 5: Optimization of Biomass Transport and Logistics. M. Junginger et al. (eds.), International Bioenergy Trade: History, status & outlook on securing sustainable bioenergy supply, demand and markets, Lecture Notes in Energy 17, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6982-3_5, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014.


 

Roni MS, Eksioglu SD, Searcy E, Jha K. 2014. A supply chain network design model for biomass co-firing in coal-fired power plants. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review 61: 115–134.


 

Coats ER, Searcy E, Feris K, Shrestha D, McDonald AG, Briones A, Magnuson T, Prior M. 2013. An integrated two-stage anaerobic digestion and biofuel production process to reduce life cycle GHG emissions from US dairies. Biofuels, Bioproduction, and Biorefining 7: 459–473.


 

Gonzales D, Searcy E, Ekşioğlu SD. 2013. Transportation Cost Analysis for Pre-Processed, Densified Biomass Feedstock. Journal of Transportation Research: Part A 49: 48-61.


 

Jeffers R, Jacobson J, Searcy E. 2013. Dynamic analysis of policy drivers for bioenergy commodity markets. Energy Policy 52: 249-263.


 

Searcy E, Blackwelder D, Delwiche M, Ray A, Kenney K. 2011. Impact of screening on behavior during storage and cost of ground small diameter pine trees: a case study. Forest Products Journal 61:7, 570-578.


 

Dutta A, Talmadge M, Hensley J, Worley M, Dudgeon D, Barton D, Groenendijk P, Ferrari D, Stears B, Searcy E, Wright C, Hess JR. 2011. Process Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol Thermochemical Pathway by Indirect Gasification and Mixed Alcohol Synthesis. Technical Report: NREL/TP-5100-51400.


 

Searcy E, Hess JR. 2010. Uniform-Format Feedstock Supply System Design for Lignocellulosic Biomass: A Commodity-Scale Design to Produce an Infrastructure-Compatible Biocrude from Lignocellulosic Biomass. Technical Report: INL/EXT- 10-20372.


 

Inman D, Nagle N, Jacobson J, Searcy E, Ray A. 2010. Feedstock handling and processing effects on biochemical conversion to biofuels. Biofuels, Bioproduction, and Biorefining 4:562 – 573.


 

Searcy E, Flynn P. 2010. A criterion for selecting renewable energy processes. Biomass and Bioenergy 34:798-804.


 

Searcy E, Flynn P. 2010. Should straw/stover be turned into syndiesel or ethanol? Biomass& Bioenergy 34: 1978-1981.


 

Hess JR, Jacobson J, Karlen D, Muth D, Nelson R, Ovard L, Searcy E, Ulrich T. 2010. The Food Versus Fuels Debate: An Informed Introduction Chapter 4: Agriculture and Land Use Issues. Publisher: Zed Books Ltd., 7 Cynthia Street, London, N1 9JF, England www.zedbooks.co.uk. Editors: Frank Rosillo-Calle (Imperial College London) and Francis X Johnson (Stockholm Environment Institute). ISBN: 9781848133822.


 

Hess JR, Kenney K, Ovard L, Searcy E, Wright C. 2009. Uniform-Format Solid Feedstock Supply System: A Commodity-Scale Design to Produce an Infrastructure-Compatible Bulk Solid from Lignocellulosic Biomass. Technical Report: INL/EXT-08-14752.


 

Searcy E, Flynn P. 2008. The impact of biomass availability and processing cost on optimum size and processing technology selection. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 154:271–286.


 

Searcy E, Flynn P. 2008. Processing of straw/corn stover: comparison of life cycle emissions. International Journal of Green Energy 5:6, 423 – 437.


 

Searcy E, Flynn P, Ghafoori E, Kumar A. 2007. The relative cost of biomass energy transport. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 136-140: 639-652.


 

Searcy E, Zhang Q, Cicek N. 2004. The use of a biofilter for reducing off-gas odour from an industrial fermentation process. Environmental Technology 26: 103-1.

Research Interests:
Biomass-based energy systems
Techno-economic assessments
Feedstock logistics systems
Life cycle assessment
Version: 28.0
Created at 6/9/2015 10:43 AM by Brendi M. Heath
Last modified at 4/22/2020 11:26 AM by hailey.goddard@inl.gov