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| BioTenn touts renewable energy use in Tennessee |
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By LEANN LITTLE
Farm World Intern-Tennessee LEBANON, Tenn. — Gov. Phil Bredesen proclaimed June 28 as “Biofuels Day” to raise awareness of production and use of biofuel in Tennessee.
He chose Daily’s fueling station on South Hartman Drive in Lebanon to unveil BioTenn, a new campaign to raise visibility and encourage use of biofuel in the state. This station was one of the first of 45 fueling stations in the state to receive grant money to add pumps for alternative fuels.
Stickers with the new BioTenn logo will be used to designate biofuel in pumps across the state.
“This is an important next step in our initiative to make clean, homegrown, renewable biofuels a real choice for Tennes-seans,” Bredesen said. “BioTenn will help both Tennesseans and visitors to our state identify those stations which have E85 (ethanol) and biodiesel available.”
To give producers and investors more incentive to contribute to cleaner air and decreased foreign oil dependency, government funding has been made available, in the form of $3.5 million in grants and loans to increase the accessibility, development and production of biofuel in Tennessee.
The Feedstock Processing Demonstra-tion Loan Program is designed to increase Tennessee farm income and production of alternative fuel feedstock. The departments of Agriculture and Economic and Community Development (TDEC) have allocated $1 million for the funding of biofuel production facilities through the program.
TDEC has designated another $1 million for Alternative Fuel Innovation Grants. These will be available to local governments and state-funded universities to increase usage of alternative fuels in fleet vehicles and monitor impacts on state air quality, especially in areas not meeting federal air quality standards.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has generated a funding agreement to develop a statewide network of biofuel (B20 and E85) refueling stations, or “Green Islands,” along Tennessee’s interstates and major highways as well as in highly-populated areas. The funding covers costs related to converting or installing refueling infrastructure, including tanks, piping and pump dispensers.
With all the publicity surrounding biofuel initiatives in Tennessee, those involved in agriculture are researching the potential impact on the state’s most treasured industry. Several of the state’s farmers are already beginning to grow crops specifically for production of biofuel.
“Many farmers who grew tobacco before the buyout have been looking for another source of income,” said Rep. Stratton Bone (D-Dist. 46), chair of the state’s House Agriculture Committee. “Switchgrass could be a possible replacement for the tobacco crop and yet another feedstock for biofuel.”
Bone, a Lebanon native, believes the increase in demand for biofuel production will be a big boost for the state’s farming industry. Biofuel production will, no doubt, have some effect on crops available for livestock and human consumption. The impact, however, is expected to be a positive one.
“Farmers will be receiving more money for the crops they contribute to biofuel production and will, in turn, produce more,“ said Commissioner of Agriculture Ken Givens. “I believe that consumers will eventually even see a decrease in the price of produce because of reduced fuel prices.”
The BioTenn campaign is expected to strengthen the Tennessee economy by making the state an innovative leader in biofuel production and research. Contributions from the state’s ag industry will continue to grow, aiming for cleaner air and less dependence on foreign oil.
For more information on the campaign, visit www.biotenn.org
This farm news was published in the July 11, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee. |
| 7/11/2007 |
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