$125 million bioenergy initiative powered by Midwest ag industry, MSU research

Wisconsin, Michigan and the Great Lakes region will be a hub for research efforts aimed at clearing the technological bottlenecks that prevent plant biomass from being used efficiently as a source of energy. The DOE estimates the United States will need to process 1 billion tons of biomass per year as a source of renewable energy to meet the goal set by Bush.

"In the last 100 years we've gone through a significant fraction of the oil it took hundreds of millions of years to create," said Donohue, "so we have to come up with some new strategies."

Michigan State brings:

• Some of the world’s most renowned plant scientists. MSU professors are leading three of the center's five research focus areas.

• Strong links between plant and agriculture sciences and the agriculture industry as part of its land-grant tradition, made stronger with its Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.

• Twenty years of research at the national Long-Term Ecological Research site (LTER) at Kellogg Biological Station, the only LTER site in the nation that focuses on agriculture.

• Connectivity with and proximity to the auto industry. The GLBRC plans to craft research projects to solve key problems identified by the industry.

• The Office of Biobased Technologies which identifies and supports research opportunities, forges public-private sector partnerships and supports research.
  
  

• The Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station with its strong links to the state’s agriculture industry.
  
  

"This announcement combines two of the most critical components of our plan to revitalize the state's economy — a thriving higher education community and growth in alternative energy research and development right here in Michigan," said Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm. "This new partnership puts Michigan State University at the forefront of making the nation independent of foreign oil while creating jobs and encouraging further alternative energy investment in Michigan."