The paper deals with the existing approaches to the interpretation of the potential of bioenergy resources. The most widespread practices of differentiation of potentials by foreign and domestic scientists are considered and the increasing role of environmental factors is emphasized. The definition of theoretical, technical, energy, economic and sustainable potentials is given. The paper suggests not to allocate sustainable or environmental potential since there is no information available for accurate calculation in absolute or relative terms. But at the same time, the constraints from the viewpoint of sustainable development at all stages of the calculation have to be taken into account. Agricultural residues are divided into primary ones, that is, those that are generated directly during the harvest, and secondary – generated during the crop processing at the enterprises. The paper establishes that the magnitude of the energy potential is mainly influenced by factors such as competition between the use of residues for energy purposes and the needs of livestock; the possibility of depletion of organic nutrients in the soil by removing the residue of straw from farmland. Practice shows that unused residues in a large enough volume are often burned in fields, which is officially banned in Ukraine and is harmful to the environment and soil. Energy utilization ratios, waste coefficient for each crop type, coefficient of technical availability of waste, energy utilization factor and factor of conversion into conditional fuels are examined and based on them the energy potential of primary and secondary plant wastes are calculated. A significant part is the cereal straw, which remains largely unused, and the corn waste. Due to its energy potential, the magnitude of which exceeds the similar potential of the EU countries, and its accessibility, it has the potential to significantly influence the energy situation in the country. 

bioenergy, energy potential, sustainable development, biomass, agricultural residues