Bioeconomy & transportation advisory group
Type(s) of GHG Reductions
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- Quantification Methods: This policy option has not been quantified. Key Uncertainties
- Feasibility Issues Research gaps Determining driving force, supply or demand. Status of Group Approval
Type(s) of GHG ReductionsPrimarily CO2 from the reduction of fossil fuel use for energy and transportation and greater efficiencies in the harvest, storage and transportation of biomass for energy and fuels. Estimated GHG Reductions and Net Costs or Cost SavingsData Sources:Transportation Logistics for Biomass for Industrial Fuel and Energy Enterprises, a presentation by Purdue University, Biofeedstock and Particulate Technology Research Group. www.jgpress.com/bcre07/t10.pdf Design, Simulation, Analysis and Optimization of Transportation System for a Biomass to Ethanol Conversion Plant by Poorna Ravula, University of VA scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05072007-165454/unrestricted/Dissertation.pdf Quantification Methods:This policy option has not been quantified. Key UncertaintiesNone cited. Additional Benefits and Costs
Feasibility Issues
Status of Group ApprovalPending Level of Group SupportTBD Barriers to ConsensusTBD BT-6.1: Bioeconomic Wealth Creation Policy DescriptionThe Midwest is ideally positioned to benefit from the movement from a petroleum-based economy toward a bio-based economy due to its strong agricultural and forestry bases and the presence of some of the nation’s best research colleges and universities. The Midwest must build on the pattern of success established by the initial farmer owned ethanol plants. Keeping feedstocks, production and markets in the region, strategically coordinated and interrelated, will keep more dollars circulating in Midwestern communities The entire corn ethanol business has been primarily driven by the Midwest as evidenced by the fact that of the 207 fuel ethanol plants functioning or under construction in the United States, 152 are located in Midwestern and Great Plains states. Most importantly, 50% to 60% of Midwestern ethanol production is primarily farmer-owned, limited liability corporations as opposed to absentee, Wall Street investors. In the past, strong state programs, primarily through producer credits, have encouraged local producers to initiate processing plants. The presently nine billion gallon-annual ethanol industry has created jobs in the facilities and in the myriad of related industries. However, transferring this incredible local success story to the Second Generation Biofuels production will be a challenge. This policy option is designed to encourage and facilitate the development of funding and investment sources, business interests, and entrepreneurs in deploying technologies developed in the Midwest, pursuing business opportunities associated with the emerging bioeconomy as quickly and as significantly as possible, and accruing to the region and its local communities the value-added margins available from these new technologies. This policy option encourages and facilitates the involvement of funding and investment sources, business interests, and entrepreneurs in pursuing business opportunities associated with the emerging bioeconomy, greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and global warming solutions as quickly and as significantly as possible. Policy DesignThe recent passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has created an immediate opportunity to dramatically scale up the amount of workforce development in the region. The sheer amount of funding made available for energy efficiency and energy infrastructure improvements and renewable energy project development has created a sense of urgency to utilize the federal funds made available and fill positions to implement projects. The immediate workforce development opportunity for the region is funding from the ARRA. Priority should be placed on leveraging these dollars to the region. The rest of the policy design and implementation mechanisms found in this document maps out a longer term strategy for the region in the area of workforce development. This policy option will work in conjunction with other proposed options to encourage and facilitate the deployment in the Midwest of technologies developed here and to accrue to the region and its local communities the value-added margins available from these new technologies. This policy option:
Secure and aid the local economic base of the biofuels industry. Beyond the existing biofuels industry, which developed naturally and has concentrated itself in the Midwest, lays the opportunity to spawn further industrial development as the country trends away from petroleum-based fuels and chemistry towards a bio-based economy. The Midwest is ideally positioned to benefit from this movement due to its strong agricultural and forestry bases and the presence of some of the nation’s best research colleges and universities. Support local farmer-investors through innovative funding strategies such as bonding authorities, removing barriers to entry for small producers, and diverse financing methodologies. By taking the initial risk to finance and build the facilities that have become the backbone of the biofuels and biorefining business, local farmer-investors have created a significant amount of local wealth. They have helped to positively increase the prices of corn and other commodities grown in the Midwest, have created significant new companies to build and service these facilities, and created a significant number of new jobs. Building upon this pattern of success and keeping feedstocks, production and markets in the region, strategically coordinated and interrelated, will keep more dollars circulating in Midwestern communities. Goals:
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