Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today the department is going to launch five major agricultural and biofuel research and production projects that will be led by several leading public universities in the country. The projects will specifically extend over five years and will help develop regional renewable energy markets in several areas of the U.S.
Vilsack was joined by representatives from the private sector, several research institutions, and the biofuel industry at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle.
The projects will consist of more than $136 million in research and development grants and recipients include the University of Washington ($40 million), Washington State University ($40 million), Iowa State University ($25 million), Louisiana State University ($17.2 million) and the University of Tennessee ($15 million). The grants will come directly from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, both of which were created through the 2008 Farm Bill.
Vilsack spoke about the importance of the projects and what they will mean for boosting American jobs, the economy, and the country's energy future: "We have an incredible opportunity to create thousands of new jobs and drive economic development in rural communities across America by continuing to build the framework for a competitively-priced, American-made biofuels industry. The past two years, USDA has worked to help our nation develop a national biofuels economy that continues to help us out-innovate and out-compete the rest of the world while moving our nation toward a clean energy economy."
The Seattle Post Intelligencer reported the University of Washington will use its $40 million grant to research and develop the use of converting poplar trees into fuel. Washington State will use its grant funding to research using residual wood and wood waste created after logging for aviation fuels. The two university projects will also involve research institutions and corporations, including Weyerhaeuser, which is one of the largest wood processing company, including pulp and paper products, in the world and is based in the state of Washington.
The three other universities will use their portion of the funding to utilize local agriculture and native crops and plants as the center of their biofuel research projects, which includes native perennial grasses in Iowa, cane and sorghum in Louisiana, and switchgrass and woody biomass in Tennessee. Additionally, each project will look to establish new technologies and boost regional renewable energy markets.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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