Parts of the economic stimulus package have been so hastily written that energy lobbyists say little-known renewable technologies could be shut out of research funding.
Potentially left stranded is a budding form of algae-based carbon capture that could cost significantly less than the traditional clean coal technology, according to experts.
Both the House and Senate bills allot billions of dollars in research funds for carbon capture and storage — a very expensive and still unproven method of capturing carbon emissions and storing them underground.
But as Congress inches closer to final passage of the bill, a small group of startup algae companies, which had been almost entirely off the Washington grid until late last year, are making a last-minute sprint to get lawmakers to broaden the funds to an up-and-coming form of carbon capture. The technology uses algae to turn the carbon emissions into biofuels, rather than storing them in underground geologic formations.
Advocates say the algae-based technology, which could find funding under broad wording in the Senate bill, could be ready to go commercial in three to four years with proper funding and would cost significantly less than underground storage, giving the United States a near-ready option to move away from foreign fossil fuels.
According to Credit Suisse, traditional geologic carbon capture research, covered in the House bill, needs at least $15 billion worth of investment and 10 more years of research before it will be ready to go commercial.
The price tag on a recent clean coal demonstration, FutureGen, reached $1.8 billion before the Bush administration scuttled it last year. In comparison, one algae advocate estimates it would cost $5 million to build a large algae demonstration plant.
“The difference between us and them is that their stuff has not been done — it’s nothing more than a very expensive science experiment,” said Tim Zenk, vice president of corporate affairs at Sapphire Energy, one of several algae companies lobbying for the funding. “It would certainly be a shame to have missed this important technology if we’re really trying to address climate change.”
Zenk’s company is part of the Algal Biomass Organization, a trade group that includes Boeing, the International Air Transport Association and several algae technology companies from Silicon Valley.
A group spokesman said there are about 25 companies in the nation ready to work with the money in the stimulus and nearly 100 that are in the very early stages of working with the technology. Other byproducts can include fertilizer and animal feed.
Both the aviation industry and the Pentagon have been eyeing algae as the next source of jet fuel — and having algae conductors feed off the carbon pollution of power plants could give them an abundant supply.
Some are already trying to use it. Last month, for instance, Continental Airlines flew a Boeing 737 jet on fuel partially made from algae.
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