California county targets 2nd generation biofuels as post Energy Act scramble begins

In California, Sutter County is targeting non-grain ethanol development following the signing of the Energy Independence Act last week. The county is focused on the potential for ethanol from rice straw, leftover from the county’s 93,000 acre, $106 million rice crop.

In November, the California Energy Commission voted 4-0 to adopt the California State Alternative Fuels Plan, which was developed jointly with the California Air Resources Board. The plan calls for on and off-road alternative fuel usage to reach 9 percent by 2012, 11 percent by 2017, and 26 percent by 2022. Fuels include electric hybrid, compressed natural gas, hydrogen, renewable diesel, bio-diesel and ethanol . The plan calls for investment in production, fuel stations and subsidies to support the short-term price differential between alternative and fossil fuels.

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