Brownfield, MO
10-25-06
Iowa and Illinois universities collaborate on ethanol research
by Jerry Passer
Researchers at Iowa State University (ISU) will evaluate the costs and benefits
of ethanol expansion to rural communities in the Upper Mississippi River Basin
as part of a $676,722 biofuels research grant.
The grant, awarded to research partner Southern Illinois University, recently was
announced as part of the $17.5 million Biomass Research and Development
Initiative, administered jointly through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The project is a collaborative effort between Southern Illinois University’s
Department of Agribusiness and ISU’s center for Agricultural and Rural
Development, Department of Economics and Department of Statistics. Iowa
State Scientists will investigate how corn-based ethanol production can be
designed and implemented efficiently to achieve both economic and
environmental benefits in this major agricultural region.
The study is considered the first to attempt a simultaneous assessment of the
impacts of corn-based ethanol expansion on crop prices, cropping patterns,
water quality and regional economic indicators.
The study will capitalize on resources developed at Iowa State, including pricing
models for corn, which will be applied to ethanol plants and markets, models that
estimate the effects of changing land use and management practices on water
quality and the environment; and methods for estimating economic bent fits of
ethanol production in terms of created jobs, increased household income, and
tax revenue generated.
ISU economics professor Catherine King one of the lead investigators says it
is important to have science based information to guide decisions as demand
continues to grow for alternative and sustainable energy sources.
The collaboration of experts in various disciplines and among different agencies
is a hallmark of research funded under this USDA-DOE initiative. The funding is
intended to accelerate discovery and implementation of bio-based fuels and
reduce U.S. dependency on fossil fuels.