Des Moines Register
11-29-06
Experts call for Iowa to lead world in biofuels
An Iowa State-led summit looks at ways the state can compete in the field of
renewable energy sources.
By JERRY PERKINS
REGISTER FARM EDITOR
Ames, Ia. - Iowa needs to cash in on its leadership in making ethanol from corn
to become the worldwide leader in renewable fuels made from other plant
materials, Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy said Tuesday at
a "call to action summit."
Geoffroy said ISU invited state leaders, farm group representatives, government
officials and policy experts to discuss how Iowa can meet competition from states
such as California that are aggressively pursuing research, education and
commercialization of biorenewable resources.
He said the summit was timed to be held after the election and ahead of the
upcoming Iowa legislative session, which begins in January.
"This train is moving very, very fast," Geoffroy said. "All of us in Iowa need to be
thinking about making the state the leader in renewable fuels."
In his remarks kicking off the summit, Geoffroy said Iowa is the leading ethanolproducing state and ranks first in per-capita production of electricity produced by
wind turbines.
Iowa has an opportunity to help the United States reduce its dependence on
foreign oil because of its fertile soil and abundant production of crops and plants
that can be used to convert into energy. Using crop waste and other plant
material - or cellulose - will yield enough material to replace 60 percent of the
gasoline in the United States, Geoffroy said - much more than ethanol made from
corn grain.
"It's dangerous for Iowa to assume that just because we are the leader in ethanol
from corn that we will be the leader in cellulosic ethanol," he said.
The stakes of the race are enormous, Geoffroy said. "This will be world-changing
and enormously profitable," he said.
Robert Brown, director of ISU's office of biorenewable programs, said California
wants to be the leader in cellulosic energy production.
"Make no mistake, California is enacting policies to become the leader in
cellulosic energy," Brown said. "Their governor is very, very interested."
California voters rejected a ballot measure in November aimed at developing
biofuels. Proposition 87 would have funded a $4 billion program to reduce oil and
gas usage by 25 percent through incentives for alternate-fuel and energy-efficient
vehicles.
Ted Crosbie, chief technology officer for Iowa and vice president of global plant
breeding for Monsanto Co. in Ankeny, said ISU needs to look into how much
native grasses, such as switchgrass, or corn stover - parts of the corn plant that
don't include the kernel - can be removed from farm fields to make ethanol
without doing environmental damage.
Soil conservationists say corn plant residues should be left on the fields after
harvest to prevent wind and water erosion and to rebuild the soil's fertility.
"Right now, it's a guess how much" plant material can be removed in an
environmentally sound way, Crosbie said.
He said the next farm bill must address how native grasses should be grown and
harvested in an environmentally sound manner.
Crosbie also said state and local roads need to be monitored so loaded trucks
bringing corn to ethanol plants and hauling ethanol to urban markets don't do
serious damage.
"We're talking lots and lots of trucks," he said. "With the tax breaks that have
been granted to ethanol plants by local governments, I don't know if we are going
to have the money to fix the infrastructure."
More than 460 people attended the summit, including about 20 state legislators.
Four state senators - two Republicans and two Democrats - said there will be
bipartisan support in the next legislative session for funding initiatives that will
boost Iowa's role as a leader in renewable fuels.
State Sen. Thurman Gaskill, R-Corwith, said he would support increased
spending for research on renewable fuels if the money is there.
"We haven't seen the revenue estimates yet, but it appears that state revenues
are going to be up, and I'd like to see some of that money going to fund
additional research at Iowa State," Gaskill said.
State Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyden, said other states like Wisconsin are
investing in research, and Iowa needs to be competitive.
"We don't have any choice," he said. "We have to look at this seriously."
State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said funding renewable fuels research
is "a common-ground issue. It's rural-urban, rich and poor, farmer and nonfarmer."
State Sen. Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa, said voters want more bipartisanship in
their legislature, and renewable fuels is a bipartisan issue.
"We need to support this fledgling industry," he said.
Reporter Philip Brasher can be reached at (202) 906-8138 or
pbrasher@dmreg.com
Proposals outlined to support industry
In the afternoon, summit participants met in eight separate sessions to come up
with recommendations on policies that will support Iowa's renewable fuels
industry. Those recommendations included:
1. Developing a state energy policy that includes producer income tax credits and
production incentives.
2. Investing in feedstock research and education for sustainable production
systems, including transportation and storage issues.
3. Looking at water availability.
4. Using new and old rights of way for pipelines and railroads.
5. Streamlining the permitting process.
6. Creating incentives for local investment.
7. Designing new combines that can harvest grain and corn stover.
8. Rewarding carbon sequestration and encouraging crop diversity.
9. Developing high-speed Internet for rural areas.
10. Developing a regional and multi-county approach to locate biorefineries and
support local leadership.
11. Building public acceptance for biofuels by education and developing
unbiased research.
12. Creating grants and loans for emerging technologies.
13. Researching the impact on food accessibility and cost.
14. Training the work force for needs of industry, using partnerships between
two- and four-year schools.
- Jerry Perkins
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