Energy farms will reduce dependence on imported oil, Battelle says
BY MARK WILLIAMS
AP Business Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- It's not quite like the movie ``Back to the Future'' where Doc Brown uses a banana peel and other waste to power his time machine, but advances in genetic engineering will one day allow farmers to specifically grow crops to be used as fuel, says a Battelle researcher.
``It is very exciting, particularly if we can grow crops on very poor grade soil,'' said Steve Millett, thought manager for Battelle, a technology developer for industry and government that put together a forecast of the top 10 energy innovations for 2010.
He said DNA developments have major implications for making greater use of crops as energy and reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Corn already is used for producing ethanol. But the kind of crops Millett is talking about are DNA-engineered crops that would be used specifically to produce ethanol and methanol.
``We will be designing crops for biomass energy potential,'' Millett said. ``It doesn't have to be the same as what we eat.''
Another major technology change will be with fuel cells, which rely on hydrogen to create electricity.
The concept of fuel cells goes back to the 1840s, but the technology has been expensive, Millett said. Amazing progress has been made the past few years that will lead to fuel cells far more powerful and efficient than batteries, he said.
Fuel cells will be used to run cars, power items as small as cell phones and computers, and generate electricity for neighborhoods, homes and businesses. They could replace the huge power grids that can fail and produce regional blackouts.
Other parts of the country may experience the kinds of problems that California has had as the nation moves to a competitive environment for electricity, Millett said.
``I think the California situation is very complicated, but I do think there is a warning for us,'' he said.
Two utilities serving 25 million people are threatened with insolvency, rates are poised to increase dramatically statewide and California's electric grid is stressed to capacity since deregulation has gone into effect. Ohio's power industry was deregulated Monday.
Millett said he believes deregulation will work in the long run, but the country will need a national energy policy to help determine how energy will be bought and sold, and how it is moved throughout the country.
Other innovations included in the forecast:
-- Rich deposits of recently discovered frozen natural gas crystals on the ocean bottom will be tapped to provide energy.
-- Hybrid vehicles that use smaller, more efficient internal combustion engines and electric batteries will make significant progress in the next 10 years leading to five-passenger sedans that get 80 miles per gallon.
-- Substantial improvements will be made in solar energy.
------ |
