The Northeast Sun Grant Initiative

abstract

The mission of the Sun Grant Initiative is to: 1) enhance national energy security through development, distribution, and implementation of biobased energy technologies; 2) promote biobased diversification and environmental sustainability of America’s agriculture; and 3) promote opportunities for biobased economic diversification in rural communities.

submitted by

Walker, Larry P | Professor

issue being addressed

Cornell University continues to build strong and competitive research and education programs focused on biofuels and bioproducts development. These programs are core to Cornell’s sustainable human development focus, which cuts across multiple colleges and centers. The challenge is to exploit major breakthroughs in engineering and science to increase crop yields, to lower extraction and conversion costs, and to create novel sustainable bioindustries. It involves thinking "green" through the smart design of products, processes, and"syste"s to avoid environmental problems before they arise.

response

To help advance technologies that convert perennial grasses and woody biomass to ethanol and other biofuels, Cornell University is using a $10 million grant from the Empire State Development Corporation to develop the Biofuels Research Laboratory. In addition, we have embarked on a perennial grass and legume biofuel feedstock project as part of a multidisciplinary renewable energy research effort supported by Cornell University, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the New York Farm Viability Institute, the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, and other public and private institutions. Development of an economical, viable, agriculture-based bioeconomy hinges on our ability to develop successful feedstock logistics subsystems and business model that will result in the capacity to delivery biomass feedstocks to a biorefinery 350 days a years. Cornell University is teaming up with Mesa Reduction & Engineering to develop feedstock aggregation models focused on capturing the lifecycle costs associated with growing, delivering, storing, and processing various biomass feedstock.

impact assessment

Cornell alone cannot serve as the catalyst for the evolving biofuels sector. We must form strong collaborative relationships with New York state government leaders, companies, farm groups, other stakeholders, and not-for-profit organizations. Our extensive network of strategic partners is essential for developing the New York state biofuels and bioproducts sector, and for allowing New York state to play a leadership role in technology and manufacturing in the global economy.

academic priority area

Environmental Sciences | CALS academic priority
Land-Grant Mission | CALS academic priority
New Life Sciences | CALS academic priority

topic description

Biofuels and Bioproducts process and systems research

has geographic focus

Washington D.C. | federal district
New Jersey | state
Rhode Island | state
Maine | state
Ohio | state
New York State | state
Massachusetts | state
West Virginia | state
Delaware | state
Washington | state
Pennsylvania | state
Connecticut | state
Maryland | state
New Hampshire | state
Vermont | state
Michigan | state

funding source description

U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Energy
Special Grants
New York State Science Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR)

collaborators

Plant Pathology Department
Department of Applied and Engineering Physics
New York Farm Viability Institute
Department Molecular Biology and Genetics
Department of Microbiology
Department of Crops and Soil Scioences
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineerring
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Northeast Biofuels
Department of Plant Breeding

key personnel

Professor Jim Gossett
Professor Norm Scott
Professor David Wilson
Professor Don Viands
Dean Susan Henry
Dr. Manuel Villa
Professor Steve Kresovich
Professor Michael Hoffmann
Professor Gary Bergstrom
Professor Donna Gibson

mission focus

extension/outreach | project type
research | project type