Since 1996, an estimated 42 million acres of U.S. forests have been killed due to infestations from pine and spruce bark beetles. The wood represents a vast bioenergy resource that requires no cultivation and circumvents food-versus-fuel concerns. In a project funded by NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), Cool Planet Energy Systems is using trademarked technology to produce gasoline and jet fuel from wood chips and other organic waste.
Cool Planet and the Bioenergy Alliance Network of the Rockies (BANR) at Colorado State University are bringing together scientists, educators, and extension specialists from universities and government agencies across the region to research the use of insect-killed trees for the production of biofuels and biochar.
Read more about Colorado State University Research for BANR.
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