WSU leading Bio-Jet Fuel project; CRP update
Washington Ag Today July 14, 2010 A major Washington State University effort to develop aviation bio-fuel is underway with the announcement of a strategic initiative called the “Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest” project, described as the first of its kind in the U.S. In partnership with Alaska Airlines, Boeing, the Port of Seattle, the Port of Portland and Spokane International Airport, the project will look at biomass options within a four-state region as possible sources for creating renewable jet fuel. John Gardner, vice president of Economic Development and Global Engagement at WSU says this is an exciting development from both the economic impact to the Northwest and also to the advancement of clean fuel technologies world-wide. The director of Washington State University’s Agricultural Research Center, Ralph Cavalieri says WSU scientists are already working on over coming the obstacles in the way of efficiently using biomass to make bio-aviation fuel. The USDA says there will be a general sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program this year but Farm Service Agency administrator Jonathan Coppess still can’t say when it will be as the agency continues to finalize rules and environmental statements. Coppess: “I do not have a time-frame for you at this point in time of when that will be published and when we will begin the general sign up.” However, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says instead of just one to two million acres being accepted in the next sign up, closer to four million acres will be accepted into the CRP. Contracts on nearly 173-thousand CRP acres expire this September in Washington. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net. ? ?
