A geographical information system known locally as the Hawaii Natural Resources Information System (HNRIS) was utilized to identify potential biomass plantation sites by matching biomass species requirements with appropriate environmental conditions. The HNRIS database contains the essential information, such as soil type, elevation, temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, land zoning, ownership, and present use, for the six major islands of the state of Hawaii. Its use facilitates a biomass energy resource assessment efficiently and economically, in contrast to conducting expensive and time-consuming large field trials at many independent locations. The site selection process includes analyses of land suitability and land availability factors. Maps generated by HNRIS show land parcels with environmental conditions and land zoning similar to experimental field sites. An integrated methanol-from-biomass system model is described.