The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that it will invest up to $24 million in three research groups, including one in Mesa, to advance the commercialization of algae-based biofuels.
The groups receiving the funding are the Sustainable Algal Biofuels Consortium in Mesa, Consortium for Algal Biofuels Commercialization in San Diego and Cellana LLC Consortium in Kailua-Kona, HI.
The Mesa group, led by Arizona State University, will focus on testing algal biofuels as replacements for petroleum-based fuels. It received $6 million, while the other two entities were given $9 million.
The ultimate goal is to develop a clean, sustainable transportation sector through low-cost, renewable transportation fuels.
The Department of Energy hopes this investment will help spur efforts to develop the nation’s bioindustry, create more jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help the nation achieve energy independence.
"Partnerships such as these focus the creative powers of the public, private, and academic sectors on key challenges facing the development of renewable energy for transportation," said Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi in a prepared statement. "The U.S. must find effective ways to hasten the development of technologies for advanced biofuels made from algae and other renewable resources to reduce our need for foreign sources of oil."
