Articles:___________________________
U.S.
Dept. of Energy to invest in bioenergy
U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman announced on August 2,
2006 that DOE will spend $250 million to establish and operate two new Bioenergy
Research Centers to accelerate basic research on the development of cellulosic
ethanol and other biofuels. The Secretary made the announcement with Congressman
Jerry Weller (IL-11th), local officials and biofuels stakeholders during a visit
to Channahon, Illinois, USA.
"This
is an important step toward our goal of replacing 30 percent of transportation
fuels with biofuels by 2030," Secretary Bodman said. "The Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) calls for the creation of new programs to improve the
technology and reduce the cost of biofuels production. The mission of these
centers is to accelerate research that leads to breakthroughs in basic science
to make biofuels a cost-effective alternative to fossil fuels."
Four
billion gallons of ethanol were produced this year, mainly from corn. EPAct
requires that by 2012, at least 7.5 billion gallons per year of renewable fuel
be blended into the nation's fuel supply. To meet these goals, future biofuels
production will require the use of more diverse feedstocks including cellulosic
material such as agricultural residues, grasses and other inedible plants.
Universities,
national laboratories, nonprofit organizations and private firms are eligible to
compete for an award to establish and operate a center. Awards, based on
evaluation by scientific peer review, will be announced next summer. The centers
are expected to begin work in 2008 and will be fully operational by 2009.
The
centers' mission will be to conduct systems biology research on microbes and
plants, with the goal of harnessing nature's own powerful mechanisms for
producing energy from sunlight. A major focus will be on understanding how to
reengineer biological processes for more efficient conversion of plant fiber, or
cellulose, into ethanol, a substitute for gasoline.
The
proposal deadline for this funding opportunity is February 1, 2007. DOE's Office
of Science will provide $25 million in the first year for the establishment of
each center and up to $25 million per year for the following four years to
support the operations of each center - for a total award of up to $125 million
per center. Additional details on the funding opportunity and the centers'
objectives are available at netlink: http://www.doegenomestolife.org/centers.