Three Alabama universities earn grant for bioenergy efforts

A United States Department of Agriculture Grand Challenge Award has been awarded to an Alabama agricultural land-grant alliance between three Alabama universities for its proposal to help move the nation toward bioenergy.

Auburn University’s Natural Resources Management and Development Institute and its Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, in collaboration with Alabama A&M University and Tuskegee University, submitted “Partnerships: The Pathway to a Vibrant Bioeconomy for Alabama” to the USDA’s “25x’25 Alliance” competition.

The USDA’s goal is to develop technology and plans that could help provide 25 percent of the country’s energy from renewable resources by the year 2025.

Larry Fillmer, NRMDI executive director, and Dr. Steve Taylor, center director, will present the proposal at the REE Bio Energy Awareness Days in Washington, D.C., starting Thursday. REE is from the research, education and economics mission of the USDA.

Auburn, one of 15 winning schools, will also demonstrate its new mobile biomass gasification unit at the conference. 

“We are extremely grateful for this recognition,“ Fillmer said. “Multidisciplinary programs at each land-grant institution are working to contribute to the nation’s alternative energy needs in a way that utilizes Alabama’s abundant natural resources.“

He said that Auburn concentrates on the use of biomass resources for conversion to liquid fuels, electrical power, heat and other higher-value products; Alabama A&M emphasizes oilseed crop production; and Tuskegee emphasizes starch crop production.

The alliance also includes the universities’ research partners - the USDA Forest Service, USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Soil Dynamics Laboratory and Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.