Center for Evergreen Energy

October 11, 2006

Center for Evergreen Energy
By Dr. Roger N. Beachy and Richard C.D. Fleming

For nearly two years, a coalition of scientific, business and civic leaders known as the BioFuels Working Group has been working under the sponsorship of the Regional Chamber and Growth Association. The group's mission was to develop a strategy designed to put St. Louis at the forefront of the national effort to bring economically viable, renewable and secure sources of energy to the marketplace.

In 2006, the RCGA and the Danforth Plant Science Center commissioned the development of a "strategic roadmap" for biofuels to define the opportunities in St. Louis for innovation and a process for execution.

Today, bio-based fuels account for less than 5 percent of all transportation energy in the United States. But within 25 years, the national goal is to move from 5 percent to 30 percent.

It's an ambitious goal, and one that is critical to our nation's security and economy. Getting the job done will take top-tier science and technology coupled with expertise in product development, enlightened national policies and adequate funding.
Our strategic road map for the development of biofuels is centered on creating economically competitive ethanol (and other alcohols) derived from corn and other crops. With technical innovation and appropriate capital investment, it should be possible to deliver 30-50 billion gallons of biofuels by 2020, with corn as the principal fuel source. However, soybean producers, for example, could deliver enough biodiesel to achieve national B-2 (two percent) formulation if policy changes are adopted requiring low sulfur and renewable fuel standards.

To reach this goal, there must be highly focused integration of scientific and technical research with business acumen and strategic policy. St. Louis' world-renowned research institutions and private sector industry leaders are primed to meet this challenge.

As the nation's leaders in bio-energy convene this week in St. Louis, we are pleased to announce the charter of the Center for Evergreen Energy, or CE2. The formation of this new center is the first step in our strategic plan to make St. Louis a hub of excellence in the development and advancement of biofuels. The center's technical and scientific components will be virtual. Its business policy will be directed and integrated by an independent think-tank.

Establishing the center is just the first step of a long journey. Achieving energy independence in the United States may take 50 years or more. But we believe the Center for Evergreen Energy in the St. Louis BioBelt can make credible, innovative and long-lasting contributions to the nation's renewable energy industry. It's an important mission, and a fitting one for the national leader in plant and life sciences.

Dr. Roger N. Beachy is president of the Donald Danforth Plant Sciences Center. Richard C.D. Fleming is president and Chief Executive Officer of the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association.