Fuels for Thought!

When it comes to the marketing of the bioenergy brand, one of the catchiest slogans out these days is " 25 by '25 ". Adopted and supported by industries, academia and government agencies alike, this organization simply aims to supply 25 percent of our energy from renewable resources by the year 2025. By focusing its future efforts on wind, solar and biomass resources, the " 25 by 25 " initiative is expected to create new jobs, develop novel technologies, help mitigate the effects of global warming and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Now one should ask the question: " Is that feasible? " In a statement issued recently, the U.S. administration acknowledged biofuels as a much needed alternative to foreign oil. Such government support of biofuels is a first step in the path forward for the next phase in bioenergy development in the world. In the wake of recent hikes in gas prices and commodities such as corn and soybean, bioenergy is becoming an attractive option for consumers who are feeling the financial pinch of these turbulent times. There is a renewed sense of urgency shared by producers and consumers alike and a clear vision needs to be articulated for the bioenergy industry to really take flight. Investments in billions of dollars are currently being made in the bioenergy arena. The United States Department of Energy alone invested up to $375 million in three new Bioenergy Research Centers. The main objective of these centers is to increase efficiency and diversification of clean energy sources by accelerating basic research and development in the area of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels. These centers have set a more ambitious goal than the " 25 by 25 " , namely the " Twenty in Ten " initiative, which seeks to reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 20% within 10 years. On the other side of the Atlantic, the European Commission is addressing the issue of Bioenergy from a similar perspective. In 1995 the Commission established the European Bioenergy Networks (EBN) to promote renewable energy utilization in Europe. The major aim of the EBN is to share knowledge and experience, spread of information, transfer of knowledge and know-how in the OPEN ACCESS