Morgan Family Foundation funds research in bio-energy

Penn State
Wednesday, December 3, 2008

University Park, Pa. -- The Morgan Family Foundation, of Los Altos, Cal., has committed $270,000 over the next two years to fund research at the Biomass Energy Center in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The Biomass Energy Center coordinates and facilitates bioenergy research and outreach across the University, building teams to address the complete value chain of biomass energy systems.

Biomass energy or "bioenergy" refers to the use of organic materials to generate electricity, produce biofuel, or create products normally made through nonorganic methods.

The foundation's gift supports a project that will partner Penn State with Dartmouth College, Iowa State University, and the environmental stewardship organization, Sustainable Conservation.

According to Biomass Energy Center Director Tom Richard, the project team will address problems associated with increased demand for national biofuel production. Researchers will investigate innovative cropping systems that are productive in terms of food and fuel as well as sustainable in terms of environmental, economic, and social impacts. Specific project goals include designing next-generation farming systems to increase food and biomass productivity while enhancing ecosystem services in existing agricultural landscapes, and evaluating the potential for these systems to provide both food and significant amounts of renewable energy for society.

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