Associated Press
04-10-07
ISU Wins Oil Co. Grants
AMES, Iowa (AP) ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, said
Tuesday that it will give Iowa State University $22.5 million over eight years to
develop new biofuel technologies.
Company, university officials and Gov. Chet Culver announced the research
agreement that will provide $1.5 million this year and $3 million grants each year
for the next seven years.
The research will focus on various ways of capturing energy from a variety of
crops. Currently, most ethanol in the United States is made from corn and
biodiesel is made from soybeans.
Many critics say rapid increases in ethanol production from corn has driven the
price of corn higher, causing poultry and cattle producers to pay more for the
feed staple, which can drive up the cost of meat, poultry and eggs.
Ethanol can be made from other plant materials such as corn leaves and stalks,
wood and certain grasses but the technology to do it in large quantities cheaply
does not exist.
Robert C. Brown, director of the university's Office of Biorenewables
Programs, said new methods of breaking down plant materials into fuels will be
investigated as part of the research. Improved production and environmental
issues also will be studied.
Ryan Lance, ConocoPhillips senior vice president for technology and major
projects, said the company searched around the world for a research partner and
concluded that Iowa State University was ahead of most others in biofuels
research by three to four years. He said the research at ISU will help diversify the
nation's fuel supply.
``To diversify that offering we think will make our nation more secure,'' he said.
``We'll still use oil, gas and coal, we just need to diversify that. We don't need to
pick winners and losers today, let's try to even out the policies and try to create
as much research and development as we can and let the market ultimately
determine what's going to work.''
The university's selection was no doubt helped by the fact that Ruth Harkin, wife
of U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is a member of the Iowa Board of Regents,
which oversees the state-run universities and sits on the board of directors of
Houston-based ConocoPhillips. She said the investment in ISU will help fulfill the
state's goal of becoming a world leader in biofuels research and production.
``It's sort of a domino effect. It helps attract great faculty, then it helps attract
good students and it helps attract good jobs. It's sort of a core thing, sort of a
beginning,'' she said.
Culver, who has promoted the creation of a $100 million Iowa Power Fund and
an Iowa Renewable Energy Office to make the state a world leader in biofuels
production, said the Conoco investment is another sign that the industry is
moving quickly and the Legislature needs to move forward on his plan soon.
``This is exactly the type of environment that I want to continue to create here in
our state,'' he said. ``Today's announcement suggests that we don't have a
whole lot of time to delay.''
Brown said the research program will involve 10 faculty members in addition to
graduate students in the first year. Additional researchers will be added later. He
said the projects funded by the Conoco money will be determined each year by
the company, which will review university research team proposals.