Washington, DC
July 31, 2008
Agriculture Under Secretary for
Research, Education and Economics Gale Buchanan and Energy
Department (DOE) Under Secretary for Science Raymond Orbach and
today announced plans to award 10 grants totaling more than $10
million to accelerate fundamental research in the development of
cellulosic biofuels.
"USDA is committed to
fostering a sustainable domestic biofuels industry at home in
rural America," Buchanan said. "These grants will broaden the
sources of energy from many crops as well as improve the
efficiency and options among renewable fuels."
"Cellulosic biofuels offer one of the best near- to mid-term
alternatives we have, on the energy production side, to reduce
reliance and imported oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions,
while continuing to meet the nation's transportation energy
needs," Orbach said. "Developing cost-effective means of
producing cellulosic biofuels on a national scale poses major
scientific challenges - these grants will help in developing the
type of transformational breakthroughs needed in basic science
to make this happen."
The grants will be awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program begun
in 2006 which aims to accelerate fundamental research in biomass
genomics to further the use of cellulosic plant material for
bioenergy and biofuels. DOE's Office of Biological and
Environmental Research will provide $8.8 million while USDA's
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service will
provide $2 million to the following institutions over a three
year period:
• Boyce Thompson Institute
for Plant Research (Ithaca, NY), $882,000
• Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO), $1,500,000
• University of Georgia (Athens, GA), $1,295,000
• University of Georgia (Athens, GA), $1,200,000
• University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA), $1,200,000
• Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), $540,000
• Pennsylvania State University (State College, PA),
$587,191
• Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), $1,200,000
• Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), $1,200,000
• Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR), $1,200,000
Cellulosic biofuels are made from
a wide variety of plant materials or non-food based feedstocks
and energy crops.
For more information on the individual projects and the DOE-USDA
biomass genomics research program, visit:
http://genomicsgtl.energy.gov/research/DOEUSDA/index.shtml. |
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