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An a-maize-ing energy alternative

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By Laura-Claire Corson

Rachel Sherman slammed her gas door shut on a brisk September afternoon. As she turned to the gas pumps, snatching the receipt for her gas bill, she sighed heavily.

$63.17.

Sherman, a 20-year-old UW-Madison junior only paid approximately $40 to fill up her Jeep Grand Cherokee when she turned 16, four years ago.

Now, the Westchester County, NY native budgets in an extra $25 each time she fills up her tank. Though she doesn't drive that often, living in a capital city with an SUV means she goes to the gas station at least three times a month.

She said her mother worries about the future of fueling vehicles: "Will it be too expensive for my kids and my grandkids as they grow?" Sherman says.

Sherman is not alone, as gas prices have skyrocketed, reaching more than $3.15 per gallon in many parts of Wisconsin this summer. The price, though not as steep as it could become, angers much of the U.S. public. The near and distant future is not bright for car users hoping for lower prices.

The reason for the high prices is, of course, that the oil supply in the Middle East is in high demand. Some experts claim petroleum will be depleted in 10 to 20 years, drastically increasing the urgency of finding long-lasting energy and fuel alternatives. The importance of alternatives is imperative.

 Scientists now turn to other options, and a leading choice is using plant waste as fossil fuels, creating hydrogen catalysts in place of petroleum.

That's right: the extra material from corn and wheat, in particular, aren't just recycled anymore, and UW-Madison researchers are pioneers of this movement, using the state's agriculture to lessen the burdensome reliance on petroleum.

"Finding these answers, these alternatives now is very important. [People] can't afford to wait around until the oil is gone," says Yuriy Roman, a chemical engineering graduate student at UW-Madison. He says he thinks oil might run out in 30 years.

"We need to get into the game before it's too late," he adds. "Even though we may not be directly affected right now—or even in our lifetime—there will be a point when we need alternative fuels."

As one of the first projects to successfully utilize plant waste as alternative energy, Roman and the research team he is a part of are leaders in alternate fuel research.

The research is led by James Dumesic, a UW-Madison professor of chemical and biological engineering. He headed a project in 2003 that used hydrogen production as a catalyst for alternative energy initiatives. He also co-founded Virent, a Madison-based start-up which produces hydrogen.

Before waste was used in this manner, it likely was left alone to rot on the fields, recycled back into the ground or composted, Roman says.

"The reason this waste is so beneficial is because we use the parts of the plant that no one wants," Dumesic says. "For example, we don't use the corn plant because animals and people eat it. But, what's going to happen to the non-edible part?"

Converting the "non-edible" part into a "chemical intermediate" is a difficult scientific process, Roman explains. The intermediate, titled HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) is made from fructose, then from biomass. HMF has the ability to convert into plastics, petroleum or diesel fuel.

Roman said last spring, the team reached a milestone by achieving high concentrations of HMF, an accomplishment no one else has completed.

Dumesic's research, however, is not the only reason Wisconsin is a leading state in producing alternative energy fuels. Anyone who has driven through the state has seen the abundance of cornfields that blanket the state's soil.

"There sure is a lot of corn in Wisconsin," said Marie Walsh, an adjunct associate professor at the University of Tennessee who was a member of America's Biomass Feedstock Development Program.

In 1999, Walsh was one of five researchers who conducted a supply analysis of types of biomass. Wisconsin was at the bottom of the nation's top corn-growing states, unsurprisingly falling behind Iowa, Kansas and the leading corn-grower, Nebraska.

Walsh also said the forestry industry is a main player in the state—part of the reason Wisconsin is a catalyst in the alternative energy industry. A primary reason is because plant owners are extremely willing to sell their agriculture—usually licensing to electric power plants and potential ethanol-producing companies.

Roman says the next goal is to use cellulose effectively in producing alternative fuels. Luckily, the governor's office backs the use of alternative fuels.

"[Gov. Jim Doyle] is committed to building the world's first cellusosic ethanol plant in Wisconsin and has committed $5 million to assist in its development," says Matthew Canter, spokesman for Doyle. "Cellulosic ethanol would use wood, corn stover or other agricultural/forest waste to produce ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol will be the renewable fuel of the future and allow us to ensure we continue to produce sufficient crops for food while at the same time advancing Wisconsin's goal of energy independence."

In fact, in late September, Doyle announced a $450 million investment that made Wisconsin the nation's leading state in energy independence. His initiative includes $80 million in increased funding to support the development of renewable energy technologies, using the money to advance both public and private renewable energy research.

Canter says Doyle wants the United States to be less dependent on the Middle East for energy and more dependent on the Midwest.

The demand is on the rise.

"Thirty- to-forty years ago, using plants for fuel was not thought of," Walsh says. "Now, however, in the last four to five years, the prospects are growing."

Three oil companies are planning on building facilities to make fuel from plants.

Dumesic says part of the reason the demand is growing is because the cost of this type of alternative energy is relatively inexpensive.

"It is comparable to the route of petroleum," he says.

So, if a gallon of gas cost $2.50, a gallon of diesel made from plant waste would be approximately the same amount.

A more expensive option for replacing petroleum is solar panels, for example. Though Doyle signed legislation at Solar Mining, the world's largest manufacturer of solar water heating equipment in Green Bay, there is still more focus on plant waste because of all the items it's used in.

The ethanol produced by plants could be used to produce fuel for cars, batteries and military equipment. Dumesic says his research was unique because the technology they use creates hydrogen at cooler temperatures, meaning the pressure is not as high.

Though it's popular overall, the plant-waste movement was met with criticism. While the idea is original and effective, some worry about corn stock disappearing too quickly if it becomes a primary energy source.

Professor Tad Patzek, a geo-engineering professor at the University of California at Berkeley who focuses on biomass, says he worries that burning plant waste will deplete the soil nutrients needed for agriculture if people are not careful.

"When you take nutrients and chemical elements from the soil, and then you burn them to produce energy, it is necessary to return the nutrients to where you found them [in the soil]," Patzek says.

According to the Department of Energy, the United States would not be dependent on the Middle East for oil if people cut down fuel use by 15 percent for the next 50 years. It is possible, Patzek says, but it would take a great movement to make people lessen their fuel use.

Nonetheless, Patzek is impressed with the amount of action and research being conducted in Wisconsin to help make the country less dependent on foreign oil.

"The campus, the state, is well-taken care of. The ecological initiatives look better on paper than in reality," he says. "At least it gets people thinking about the right things."

Thinking in the right direction is imperative right now because although the impact is not immediate, from a global perspective, taking steps now is necessary.

"[HMF development] is a good stepping stone in finding alternatives from oil," he says, so people like Sherman and her mother won't have to worry about filling up their cars in a couple decades when oil disappears.

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