Kentucky Gets Serious About Bio-fuel

Sometimes we forget that renewable energy is not all high-tech solar panels and wind farms, and need to be reminded that nature often gives us the solution to our most daunting tasks. One such reminder is the new effort to bring bio-fuels to Kentucky.

Eastern Kentucky University has recently received $200,000 from the The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board and the Governor has created a bio-fuel task force to look at Kentucky’s overall strategy for production. Now, bio-fuels come with their own set of controversies such as competition with land used for food production, inflation of grain prices, and, after all that work, it still pollutes, but this effort has a slightly different, although important, hue.

The difference is that this money has been set aside to research algae and switch-grass as feed for livestock consumption and bio-fuels. What is interesting about this is algae and switch-grass do not compete directly with corn in the grain market or for land use. Switch-grass is a highly resilient plant that can be grown in areas that have low soil quality and flooding and algae can be simply be grown in effluent streams and waterways, which leaves corn and soy bean land to remain corn and soy bean land. Once grown these two plants can be processed for their oils, which are then used to make bio-fuel. The left over biomass, the plant minus the oil, can be used to feed livestock, turned into fertilizer or made into other industrial products.

If studies prove promising, this extra stream of money for farmers could be a boom for our rural economies. Governor Beshear was quoted in Kentucky Ag News saying, “I am committed to creating opportunities that will make Kentucky’s agricultural community stronger, as well as position Kentucky to be a leader in renewable energy technology.” Senator Ed Worley (D-Richmond) seemed to be thinking along the same lines: “This bio-fuel research is very important, and, this funding could be a step in putting Kentucky in the forefront of the development of an alternative energy… This project will not only benefit everyone involved, but could eventually impact the world.”

There’s a win-win here. Farmers would have more options in what and how they grow their crops while growing a product that gets us away from foreign oil.

So, how about the pollution part. Don’t bio-fuels produce CO2 also? They do, but at a much smaller rate, and burning them doesn’t off-gas heavy metals like petroleum products do. Also, they have been shown to increase the life of your engine due to the fact that they lubricate much more effectively than the traditional stuff.

Who knew?

October 16, 2009 В· admin В· No Comments
Posted in: Uncategorized

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