NAICS 221117

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal statistical standard for classifying business establishments to collect, analyze, and publish data about the U.S. economy. Developed under OMB with Canada and Mexico, NAICS replaced the SIC in 1997 to ensure comparability of business statistics across North America; the current vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 221117 designates Biomass Electric Power Generation within Utilities. It falls under NAICS 22111 (Electric Power Generation), which covers establishments primarily operating generation facilities that produce electric energy and provide it to transmission or distribution systems. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 221117 overview
• G2X — NAICS 22111 Electric Power Generation
• G2X — NAICS 221118 Other Electric Power Generation

What this NAICS covers

• Operation of biomass-fueled electric power generation facilities that produce electric energy. ²
• Supplying generated electricity to bulk transmission or local distribution grids from dedicated biomass plants. ²
• Independent power producer activities at biomass generation sites classified under electric power generation. ²
• Onsite plant operations, staffing, and routine plant-level services necessary to run biomass electric units. ²
• Sale of electric output from biomass facilities to utilities, power marketers, or aggregators. ²
• Generation activities are in scope; transmission and distribution are classified in NAICS 22112. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	221114	Solar Electric Power Generation
NAICS	221115	Wind Electric Power Generation
NAICS	221118	Other Electric Power Generation
PSC	S112	Utilities — Electric

History and comparability

NAICS 221117 was created in the 2012 NAICS revision when former “Other Electric Power Generation” (NAICS 221119) was split into specific renewable generation industries (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass) and a redefined “other” category. ³

According to County Business Patterns, there were 116 Biomass Electric Power Generation establishments in 2023; CBP publishes establishment counts for NAICS 221117 alongside other NAICS 22111 industries. ⁴

SBA small business size standard

The SBA small business size standard for NAICS 221117 is 550 employees (effective March 17, 2023), as listed in SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards matched to NAICS codes. ⁵

PSC alignment for federal buys

Common PSC usage associated with electricity includes PSC S112 (Utilities—Electric) for utility service acquisitions, and product PSC 9105 (Electric Power Supply from a Third Party Generation Entity) when procuring supply from third-party generation, per the April 2025 PSC Manual. ⁶

Frequently asked questions

• What does NAICS 221117 include in practice?
  It covers establishments primarily engaged in operating biomass electric power generation facilities, with electric energy delivered to transmission or distribution systems. This is a subset of NAICS 22111, which defines the scope of generation activities. ²

• How is NAICS 221117 different from NAICS 221118 and other renewables?
  In 2012, the prior “other” category was split: solar (221114), wind (221115), geothermal (221116), and biomass (221117); 221118 now covers remaining types (e.g., tidal). ⁷

• What small business size standard applies to NAICS 221117?
  The SBA size standard is 550 employees. This employee-based threshold has been effective since March 17, 2023, and is listed in SBA’s official size standards table. ⁵

• Where can official statistics for NAICS 221117 be found, and when is 2022 NAICS fully adopted?
  Statistics appear in the Economic Census and series like County Business Patterns. Census began releasing data on a 2022 NAICS basis with the 2022 Economic Census and plans full program adoption by the end of 2027. ⁸

• Which PSCs are typically paired with biomass power generation buys?
  Utility electricity services often use PSC S112; supply from non-utility third‑party generation may use PSC 9105. Agencies select PSCs per the PSC Manual and acquisition specifics. ⁶

Useful resources

• Census NAICS — Introduction and Search (official site). ¹
• Census — Utilities (Sector 22) and NAICS 22111 descriptive framework. ²
• Census — “New in 2012” NAICS changes (creation of 221117). ³
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective Mar. 17, 2023). ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS main site: Introduction to NAICS and 2022 search. https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau — Utilities sector descriptions (including 22111 Electric Power Generation). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect22.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2012 Economic Census “New in 2012” (split of 221119 into specific renewables including 221117). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2012/about/new.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — “History and the Census: Hoover Dam” (CBP 2023 counts for 22111 industries including 221117). https://www.census.gov/about/history/stories/monthly/2025/september-2025.html
5. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
6. GSA Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (S112; 9105). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
7. U.S. Census Bureau — Blog: “Industry Classifications Reflect Changing Economy” (renewables split; 221118 includes tidal). https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2016/09/industry_class.html
8. U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and adoption across programs). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html