TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin, a senior member of
the Senate Appropriations committee, today announced that he secured
$750,000 for the Chariton Valley Switchgrass Project in the final
FY 2006 Energy and Water appropriations bill. The House and Senate
are expected to pass the final bill this week. The President must
sign the bill before it becomes law.
“I’ve been proud to work with the Chariton Valley RC&D
to promote Iowa’s native switch grass as a source for producing
electricity,” said Harkin. “I strongly believe that
switch grass can be to electric power what ethanol is to gasoline.”
Switchgrass crop requires less tillage, less fertilizer, and less
insecticide and herbicide than traditional row crops. It also reduces
dependence on fossil fuels. By mixing switchgrass with existing
coal at power plants, the “energy crop” can be used
to help generate 35 megawatts of electrical power — enough
to light some 40,000 homes.
This funding will be used to complete installations
to the Ottumwa Generating Station that will allow the cofiring of
12.5 tons per hour of biomass, fund work with cooperating farmers
to develop biomass supply for future cofire activities, and conduct
agronomic, environmental, and market development activities to support
biomass production and use.
