Domestic Fuel

The state of Florida has announced grants for a number of renewable energy projects using various types of biomass.

Here are just a few of the projects being funded for 2007:

Citrus Energy LLC, “Fuel Ethanol Production from Citrus Waste Biomass” ($2.5 million): Based in Clewiston, the company will construct a four-million-gallon-per-year ethanol bio-refinery to use citrus waste to produce ethanol.

Alico Inc., “Commercial Ethanol Production from Biomass” ($2.5 million): The project will use biomass products to co-produce ethanol and electricity at a savings for consumers.

Losonoco Inc., “Losonoco Mulberry Ethanol” ($2.5 million): Losonoco Inc. will purchase, refurbish, and operate a shuttered fuel ethanol production facility in the City of Mulberry in Polk County.

Florida International University, “Assessment and Development of Pretreatment for Sugarcane Bagasse to Commercialize Cellulosic Ethanol Technology” ($990,532): The university project will determine the technical feasibility of using Florida sugarcane waste as a feedstock for a large-scale ethanol industry in the state.

Through the 2006 Florida Energy Act, the Florida Legislature appropriated $15 million for renewable energy technologies grants to stimulate capital investment in the state and promote and enhance the statewide utilization of renewable energy technologies, including ethanol and bioenergy.