Biofuel research at UW and WSU to help power the economy

September 30, 2011

Seattle Times – TAXPAYERS, investors, environmentalists and consumers have lots of reasons to cheer the federal grants to promote biofuel research at the University of Washington and Washington State University.

The two institutions were among a handful of top U.S. schools selected for the public-private partnerships announced in Seattle by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Both universities have the reputations for excellence and programs in place that stood out in the competitive process. The $80 million coming into the state goes primarily to UW and WSU, but they will deploy pieces of the grant to support specific research topics at other universities.

The goal is to turn woody, biomass feedstock into fuels for cars, trucks and planes. The research will cover all the bases, from growing trees — poplars — to where best to plant and harvest them, pilot projects for fuel conversion, the details of commercial expansion, and all the environment and social implications with each step.

UW professor Richard Gustafson explains the goal is to develop and track a sustainable process that looks at all phases of operation. To help conduct those assessments, the universities looked widely for academic and commercial expertise.

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