Penn State faculty brief congressman on biofuel initiatives

University Park, Pa. -- As he prepares to help author the 2007 Farm Bill, U.S. Rep. Tim Holden Friday toured laboratory facilities at Penn State's University Park campus to receive a briefing on cutting-edge research into biofuels and other alternative-energy technologies.

The eighth-term congressman from Pennsylvania's 17th District is vice chair of the House Agriculture Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research.

During a stop in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Holden said that understanding the challenges and opportunities surrounding biofuel production is critical for lawmakers as they craft the 2007 Farm Bill, which will guide federal agricultural programs and priorities for the next five years.

"We need to lay the groundwork for making us less dependent on foreign oil for energy," he told a group of Penn State researchers and administrators. "There were perhaps a couple hundred million dollars in the last Farm Bill for alternative energy. We're hoping for a couple billion in the next bill."

Tom Richard, associate professor of agricultural engineering and director of Penn State's Biomass Energy Center, said that at least 65 faculty members university-wide are conducting research under the center's auspices. Studies or demonstration projects are under way in the areas of cellulosic ethanol, microbial fuel cells, anaerobic manure digestion, biodiesel and other technologies.

Cellulosic ethanol -- derived from plant materials such as wood, stems and stalks as opposed to grain -- holds great promise for the Northeast, according to Richard, who pointed out that Pennsylvania is one of only two states named for biomass (Penn's Woods). But he explained that technical hurdles remain to develop efficient ways to break down cellulose so that a plant's constituent sugars can be extracted and fermented into ethanol.

With its abundance of timber and a climate suitable for growing grasses, Pennsylvania is well positioned to take advantage of cellulosic ethanol. "We believe that traditional corn ethanol isn't the way to proceed," said Holden. "Cellulosic ethanol from timber, wood chips and switchgrass is the way to go, but we need to provide loan guarantees and incentives to grow these feedstocks."

Holden's tour also featured presentations on microbial fuel cells by Jay Regan, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering; anaerobic manure digestion by Robert Graves, professor of agricultural engineering, and Pat Topper, research technician in agricultural engineering; and soy-based biodiesel by Glen Cauffman, manager of Penn State farm operations.

In addition, the tour included presentations on grain ethanol and bio-lubricants by Greg Roth, professor of agronomy, and Joe Perez, senior research scientist in chemical engineering; and biomass combustion and gasification by Andre Boehman, professor of fuel science and engineering, Alan Scaroni, interim director of the Penn State Energy Institute, Bruce Miller, senior research associate in the Energy Institute, and Joel Morrison, Energy Institute research associate.

For photos from the event, check http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/879 online.