Biofuel Projects Get $41 Million In Grants

The Departments of Agriculture and Energy announced last week $41 million in joint investments for 13 projects to support biofuel production and feedstock improvements. Matching funds will need to be secured by project leaders, which include a mix of universities, rural co-ops, USDA Agricultural Research Service centers, and corporations. Most of the funding—$31 million and five projects—goes to new biomass R&D investments in rural states. These projects focus on developing cellulosic ethanol and exploring new feedstock and production biofuel options, for instance using dairy cow manure and other atypical sources of biofuel feedstock. The other $10 million and eight projects will explore using biomass genomics to improve biofuel feedstock output and tolerance to harsh environmental conditions.