YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding $80 million in grants to consortiums led by Washington state’s two largest universities to research the conversion of Pacific Northwest wood and forest residues into biofuels.
The awards are part of more than $136 million in research and development grants to be announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Wednesday. The grants are aimed at helping to develop biofuels from tall grasses, crop residues and forest resources.
The University of Washington will lead a consortium with $40 million in grants to research converting plantation-grown poplar trees to aviation, diesel and gasoline fuels. Washington State University will lead another consortium with $40 million in grants to research using residual wood after logging and forest thinning for aviation fuel. Both awards are for five years.
