Agricultural residues are produced on the gigaton scale annually, and a portion of those burnt or left on the field could deliver climate benefits if redirected to bioenergy or carbon sequestration pathways. I am developing a geospatial tool that maps residue availability and integrates location-specific life cycle analyses for fuel production and carbon storage pathways. This enables the spatially specific visualization of environmental and economic tradeoffs, informing infrastructure and policy decisions. The tool aims to assess potential climate impact from a holistic, life-cycle point of view and identify locations with high potential impact. We plan to pilot this tool with stakeholders such as farmers and carbon removal startups to gather feedback and identify further research goals.

I am participating in the SuperUROP program to develop my ongoing research. My interest in having a positive impact on energy systems and classwork as a civil engineering major prepared me to take on this project. I hope to become a more independent researcher and am excited for the potential of developing a tool for real-world impact.