Energy security is an important theme in the United States and the US Army plays a big role. With subsidies of $1.5 billion, the US government wants to bring next — generation biofuels to market, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (http://www. bioenergywiki. net/U. S._Department_of_Agriculture).

Vilsack said the aid would assure that renewable fuel consumption would reach 36 billion gallons by 2022, with the bulk of it coming from non-food sources such as grass, algae, or woody plants. "Production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels will require that biorefineries dot the rural landscape,” said Vilsack, who linked biofuels with rural prosperity.

The number of biorefineries would have to double at a minimum to meet the biofuel goal. There are 204 plants in half of the US states. The average plant employs 40-50 people, and spends $130 million a year on supplies, wages, and transportation.

Vilsack listed four steps to expand biofuel production and usage (http://www .fsa. usda. gov/FSA/newsReleases):

• Launch of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, which pays up to 75% of farmers’ costs to grow and harvest biomass crops for use in nearby bioengi­neered or biopower plants. Forest land owners can qualify for payments on materials harvested from forest health or ecosystem restoration and used in bioplants. Cost is estimated at $461 million over 15 years. Eligible crops include switchgrass, Miscanthus, woody poplar, Jatropha, algae, "energy cane,” and Pongamia.

• Selection within 60 days of five biorefinery or bioenergy projects around the nation for loan guarantees to assist construction. A US Department of Agricul­ture (USDA) official said $650 million in guarantees were available and half a dozen projects were under review. USDA awarded two guarantees in 2009.

• Action to make $281 million available to defray the cost of feedstock to bioplants that increase production.

• Matching funds to retailers to install 10 000 “blender” pumps and storage systems within 5 years. Blender pumps can dispense fuel with various amounts of ethanol beyond the 10% mix that is standard. The pumps and storage tanks cost around $25 000 or more. Total cost could be $250 million.

• The US Departments of Navy, Agriculture, and Energy collaborate and play a key role to stimulate the mass production of several kinds of non-food biomass and biofuels and reduce the impact that foreign oil has on the American economy. These government departments invest in the private biofuel indus­tries on a grant scale to accelerate the research and development of advanced, drop-in aviation and marine biofuels and marine diesel.

The largest US ethanol maker is privately owned POET (www. poet. com). Government stimulation for biomass energy will help launch ethanol made from cellulose. POET is modifying a plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa to use corn cobs and stalks for making ethanol.

The Air Transport Association of America, representing US airlines, applauded Vilsack’s announcement of a 5-year agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop aviation fuels from forest and crop residues and other “green” feedstocks. Fuel is a leading cost for airlines.

The Union of Concerned Scientists said ethanol tax incentives should be replaced with performance-based incentives keyed to lower pollution. Livestock groups, food makers, environmentalists, and deficit hawks say ethanol incentives are wasteful and should end.

The Obama administration is supporting projects that promote renewable jet fuels that, in turn, will reduce US imports of crude oil and also help combat global warming (www. eesi. org/usda-faa-announce-partnership-develop-aviation-biofuels- 28-oct-2010).

The aviation industry said it would cap emissions by 2020, based on a resolution passed at the annual meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) for new non-food, non-feed biomass crops is meant to make sure that the biofuels do not come from cropland.

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