Technology is Linchpin to Sustainable Biofuel Industry
Interagency group releases biomass feedstock report.
Compiled by staff
Published: Dec 5, 2008
On Thursday the Biomass Research and Technology Board, an interagency group, issued a report on the economic feasibility of meeting national biofuel targets by deriving feedstocks from both farms and forests.
"Our national security, our economy, and the future of the planet require that we explore the development of biofuels in a cost-effective, environmentally sound manner and that we move beyond food crops to include a diverse base of feedstocks," said Dr. Gale Buchanan, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, who co-chairs the Biomass Research and Development Board. "This report addresses the constraints and implications of meeting our biofuel production goals and provides invaluable guidance for further research."
New technologies resulting from development and research were touted as the key to developing a sustainable biofuel industry that can meet the 2022 annual target of 36 billion gallons of biofuels called for by the Renewable Fuels Standard.
"In commissioning this report we tapped the talents of professionals across the Federal government to address the economic feasibility and environmental implications of enhanced feedstock production," Board Co-Chair and Acting Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy John Mizroch said. "We will continue promoting interagency cooperation in addressing constraints in developing biomass feedstocks to diversify our alternative fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions." The report, Increasing Feedstock Production for Biofuels: Economic Drivers, Environmental Implications, and the Role of Research, is available on the Web site of the Biomass Research & Development Initiative, at www.brdisolutions.com.
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Tagged: biofuels, usda
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