Michigan, Midwest Fueling Drive to "Green" Energy
Michigan, Midwest Fueling Drive to "Green" Energy
4/20/07
Contact: Steve Pueppke, Director
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and
MSU Office of Biobased Technologies
517-355-0123
or
Jamie DePolo
609-354-8403
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The reputation of the Midwest is anchored in agriculture. Now, thanks to agriculture, the Midwest is poised to become known for bioenergy production as well.
Michigan and other Midwestern states are home to abundant supplies of the raw materials -- crops and trees -- necessary for thriving biofuel and other bioenergy industries.
To ensure that the country’s shift from petroleum-based fuels and energy to those made from renewable resources is coordinated and collaborative, the North Central Bioeconomy Consortium (NCBEC) was created today by the directors of state agriculture departments and university Extension and agricultural experiment stations from Michigan and 11 other Midwestern states.
“We’re all committed to leading the way in renewable energy,” said Steve Pueppke, director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station at Michigan State University (MSU). Pueppke is also director of the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies. “At the same time, we want to protect our natural resources and boost our rural economies. Our region leads the country in ethanol production, and we plan to lead the country’s transition to cellulosic biofuels.”
Besides Michigan, other states in the consortium are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Together, these states have the potential to produce half to two-thirds of the nation’s perennial bioenergy crops.
“Michigan’s strategy to develop a thriving, renewable energy sector requires pooling the expertise and resources of many diverse groups,” said Mitch Irwin, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture. “This consortium of Midwest states provides us with an opportunity to accelerate the work already underway and, ultimately, secure Michigan’s place in the national bioeconomy.”
“Participating in the NCBEC is a natural for our organization,” said Tom Coon, MSU Extension director. “We are already engaged in initiatives with our in-state partners, both public and private. Extending this model across the North Central Region will lead to improved research, information dissemination and management that will benefit economic sectors across the board, from agriculture to industry to service, as well as communities of all sizes. We really have an opportunity to establish this region as a centerpiece for this emerging economic sector.”
The NCBEC has already received a $100,000 grant from the Energy Foundation of San Francisco to coordinate regional public policy development and research for a renewable energy future. The consortium is also collaborating with the Midwest Governors’ Association on policy review and development for a proposed energy summit to be held later this year.
For more information visit the NCBEC Web site: www.ncbioconsortium.org.
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