The Environmental Review Commission of the North Carolina General Assembly opened discussions April 3 on a sweeping statewide strategic plan to strengthen North Carolina's future in biofuels development and use.
The 16-page document, Fueling North Carolina's Future: North Carolina's Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership, is the culmination of a seven-month process involving more than 70 leaders from across the state representing industry, agriculture, academia and government.
The strategic plan, led by five co-conveners, was mandated by legislation enacted in August 2006 -- Senate Bill 2051 -- written by Sen. Charlie Albertson and Rep. Dewey Hill.
"North Carolina is thinking smartly about its land, economy and future," Sen. Albertson said. "The biofuels strategic plan is good thinking at the right time. It will grow us new crops, new jobs, and new biofuels capabilities."
Significant Goal
The plan lays out nine strategies for the decade ahead. The first commits North Carolina to a measurable and significant goal: By 2017, 10 percent of liquid fuels sold in North Carolina will come from biofuels grown and produced within the state.
That means new production capacity of more than 500 million gallons a year, based on state residents' current consumption of about 5.6 billion gallons of petroleum-based liquid fuels per year -- virtually all of which comes from outside the state.
Other Strategies Include:
- Establishment of a new high-level state biofuels commission, supported by annual appropriations of $500,000 for operating expenses;
- Research spending of some $4.5 million to identify and develop new or improved biofuels feedstocks; $14.5 million to develop efficient industrial and enzymatic processes for cellulosic ethanol production; $2 million to delve deeper into the state's agricultural, forestry and agronomic "wells" for biofuels; and $4 million for a small-scale pilot/deployment/processing plant to streamline research;
- State commitment of 25 percent of the estimated $25 million cost for a nationally unique "advanced biofuels acceleration facility," to be built as a public-private partnership for testing feedstocks and their conversion into biofuels;
- An annual appropriation of $500,000 for the biofuels commission to advance biofuels workforce development and public education programs throughout the state;
- Implement a comprehensive North Carolina-funded incentives program to maximize development of cost-competitive, bio-based fuels and to expand production and retail infrastructure;
- Sustained biofuels-related economic development commitment by State leaders to enhance national and economic security, rural development and gain to farmers and agriculture, environmental benefits and identification and development of local and regional resources, feedstocks and production facilities;
- Biofuels commission-led development of a plan involving task forces and partners throughout the state, to maximize statewide development, production and commercialization of biofuels;
- Creation of a new biofuels industry and economic sector statewide within 10 to 15 years, capitalizing on the state's unparalleled biotechnology, agricultural, forestry and resource strengths.
Agricultural and Industrial Infrastructure
Significantly, the plan calls for North Carolina to bypass corn for its ethanol feedstock. Though corn is increasingly used in the Midwest, the plan notes that North Carolina can't efficiently grow enough corn to meet its fuel needs.
Instead, it should tap the best of its own agricultural and industrial infrastructure to develop so-called cellulosic ethanol, using enzymes from companies such as Novozymes, in Franklinton, to efficiently break down wood waste, barley, soybeans, sweet potatoes, switchgrass and possibly even crops not yet identified.
