Could cheap algae oil power our energy future?

MSNBC.com
By Cristen Conger
updated 11:09 a.m. CT, Wed., Nov . 18, 2009

Production on land is expensive, but costs could go down if brought to sea

Although algae is currently the most energy-dense biofuel source, the cost of producing algae oil is prohibitively expensive.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the biofuel would cost around $8 per gallon at the pump. Other experts have even projected prices of more than $50 per gallon because of inefficient production and harvesting methods.

However, a team of engineers plans to investigate whether algae commercially grown in the ocean on specialized platforms could reduce the high costs of biofuel production, potentially bringing our energy economy one step closer to shifting from fossil fuels to renewable resources.

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