Biomass feedstocks could become the major renewable energy resource for power generation in the U.S.A. during the next two decades. Wood and agricultural residues sufficient to power 5000 to 10,000 MW of new capacity are available. Furthermore, 18 million ha of set-aside or under-utilized lands could be planted in energy crops. Development of biomass production on this scale will result in a major shift in land use throughout rural America, with significant socio-economic implications and environmental effects. The National Biofuels Roundtable was formed in 1992 to develop consensus among representatives of government and industry, environmentalists, and researchers from universities and research institutes. The roundtable's principles will reflect the current understandings of landscape ecology and agricultural economics and will foster decreased dependence on agricultural subsidies. Large-scale use of biomass will depend on establishment of reliable infrastructures which will link production of feedstock with its use in power generation. These infrastructures will: (1) provide crops planning and management, (2) supply equipment and materials, (3) handle maintenance and service, (4) carry out technology transfer and public education, and (5) secure financing. Pilot projects involving thousands of acres of plantings for either existing or new generation facilities are being planned by the Electric Power Research Institute, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These pilots will define characteristics of production systems and infrastructures in different regions of the country, identify opportunities to decrease costs, and validate the principles being promulgated by the National Biofuels Roundtable.