Commission OKs money for biofuels, energy projects in Southside

By Media General News Service
Published: July 31, 2008

Big bucks for renewable energy research will be given to two Southside projects.

Delegate Danny Marshall says the Virginia Tobacco Commission voted to approve nearly $9 million for the work.

In a news release, Delegate Marshall says, “The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research Sustainable Energy Technology Center (SEnTeC) will receive $8 million for a biofuels research building. The research will focus on developing, testing and commercializing advancements in sustainable energy technologies, including bio-based fuels.” Marshall describes the project as one that “will work to evaluate and optimize the conversion of selected alternative energy crops, to biofuels and biobased products.”

The second project will receive $873,745.  The money will help move a Bioenergy/Bioproducts project at Windy Acres Nursery in Gretna to the second phase.  The second phase includes moving the project from the demonstration of value-added technology to producing crops on site and using them to make heating fuel.  The goal of the project is to create small, community based refineries for Southern Virginia that make oil based porducts that do not compete with food.

“Southside can take the lead in moving Virginia many steps forward toward energy independence. We are establishing the research laboratories; we already have experienced farmers and land ready to produce crops for sustainable energy and bioenergy projects that do not interfere with food production. I look forward to a day when some of the fuel I use will be bio-based, will have been produced locally, and will be giving our local citizens, farmers, and processors great benefit,” Marshall said in the news release.