Kentucky sets biomass, biofuel production goals

Ethanol Producer Magazine September 2009
By Kris Bevill
Report posted Sept. 11, 2009, at 12:01 p.m. CST

Kentucky has developed a 21-member executive task force to facilitate the development of a statewide sustainable biomass and biofuels industry and to educate state legislators on the ability to utilize local biomass to achieve this goal. The task force held its first meeting Sept. 2, and determined the state needs to produce 25 million tons of biomass annually by 2025 in order for Kentucky to adequately contribute to the federal renewable fuel standard and a state renewable portfolio standard. The state should also produce enough biofuels by 2025 to meet 12 percent, or 775 million gallons per year, of its transportation fuel demand.

“Kentucky’s had a good history in biofuels, yet sometimes we forget where we have been,” said Frank Moore, director of biofuels at the state’s department of energy development and independence. “There’s been a lot of biomass work done, but we are not sure that Kentucky has laid the proper foundation to develop an industry.” Moore is one of the organizers of the task force and said its purpose is to ensure that an appropriate policy is put in place to build the foundation for a biomass-based energy and fuel industry.

Read the full story