The electricity by-product is treated using system expansion per ISO standards.
The electricity by-product meets the requirements for using system expansion as it is currently produced from other sources and life cycle data for the production of electricity from these other sources can be obtained.
System expansion is the most common method used in other biofuel LCAs to deal with by-products.
It is assumed that the electricity will be sold to the grid and displace electricity produced from natural gas, a likely candidate for the marginal electricity source.
An avoided production credit is generated for displacing this fossil fuel source of electricity with electricity produced from a renewable source.