Algae grow in aquatic environments. In that sense, algae technology will not compete for the land already being eyed by proponents of other biomass-based fuel technologies. Biomass power and bioethanol both compete for the same land and for similar feedstocks—trees and grasses specifically grown for energy production. More importantly, many of the algal species studied in this program can grow in brackish water—that is, water that contains high levels of salt. This means that algae technology will not put additional demand on freshwater supplies needed for domestic, industrial and agricultural use.

The unique ability of algae to grow in saline water means that we can target areas of the country in which saline groundwater supplies prevent any other useful application of water or land resources. If we were to draw a map showing areas best suited for energy crop production (based on climate and resource needs), we would see that algae technology needs complement the needs of both agriculture and other biomass — based energy technologies.

In a world of ever more limited natural resources, algae technology offers the opportunity to utilize land and water resources that are, today, unsuited for any other use. Land use needs for microalgae complement, rather than compete, with other biomass-based fuel technologies.