Tri-Cities Tech Business Update
PNNL to receive Recovery Act funds for biofuels research
The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will receive about $14.2 million for its role in two biofuels research consortia announced by Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The consortia will advance the science and technology needed to remove hurdles and accelerate the ability to convert plants and other biological material into biofuels that can be used in existing infrastructure. Chu funded the consortia with nearly $80 million of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds with the goal of bringing new biofuels to the market and developing a cleaner and more sustainable transportation sector, as well as reducing dependence on foreign oil sources, according to the announcement. "I'm proud that PNNL will play a role in both of these consortia and in the Department's pursuit of drop-in, infrastructure-compatible biofuels from plants and algae," said PNNL Director Mike Kluse. PNNL will co-lead one consortium with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and play a large role in a second consortium led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Read the complete news release.
