Biofuels Grant Recently Awarded to NW Consortium by USDA
A consortium of Northwest universities and businesses were recently awarded two $40 million grants to further develop biofuels as part of the region’s renewable energy industry. The biofuels are to be interchangeable and compatible with fuels already used in cars, planes, and diesel engines. ZeaChem, GreenWood Resources, the University of Washington, Oregon State University, Washington State University, Evergreen State College, Walla Walla Community College, and the University of California at Davis are key regional partners. Oregon State University will be receiving $5.4 million for research and $4.4 million to develop a bioenergy education program. The program will target pre-college, undergraduate, and graduate-level students. Graduate program funds will support development of a new PSM in Renewable Energy with an area of concentration in Bioenergy. ZeaChem is building a new biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon, and will being operations later this year. GreenWood Resources manages 35,000 acres of hybrid poplar plantations in the Northwest, including acreage near ZeaChem’s facility in Boardman. Read the USDA news release online:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2011/09/0425.xml&...