Biofuels production could bolster Chesapeake Bay economy

22-Jan-2010

The Chesapeake Bay region could benefit from hosting biofuels production, an intergovernmental panel said this week.

The Chesapeake Bay Commission and the state of Pennsylvania jointly released a report detailing the benefits that could be realized by growing switchgrass and other cellulosic feedstock in the Chesapeake area.

"If handled correctly - in a way that promotes the growth of the industry and also protects the bay's ecosystem - the economic, energy and environmental benefits [of biofuels production] could be significant," the report said.

Approximately 500 million gallons of fuel could be produced in the region, the report says. More than 18,000 jobs would be created, as well.

Switchgrass, which grows viably on degraded land, is a feedstock for so-called second-generation biofuels. Ethanol, a first-generation biofuel, is not considered viable in the long term because it uses a food source (corn) as its feedstock. While algae have been floated as potential replacements for corn, a new University of Virginia study suggests that algae's environmental footprint is larger than that of terrestrial feedstock.

"Before we make major investments in algae production, we should really know the environmental impact of this technology," study author Andres Clarens argued.

Breaking news brought to you by the Oxford Princeton Programme, specialists in energy courses. This and other related topics are part of the forthcoming course Energy Project Finance - A Practical Approach for Non-Finance Managers on 14-15 April, 2010 in London.