First switchgrass growers for biofuels initiative OK'd

By Darren Dunlap

The first round of acceptance letters went out Friday to farmers who applied for incentives to grow switchgrass for the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative.

There are still a couple of steps before the contracts are signed, but it appears Tennessee farmers will be planting the perennial warm-season grass in spring for harvest later this fall, said Kelly Tiller, director of external relations for the biofuels initiative and an assistant professor of Agriculture Economics at the University of Tennessee.

Tiller will brief lawmakers Tuesday in the state Senate Finance Committee about the progress of the biofuels initiative.

The Tennessee Biofuels Initiative is a five-year commitment of $70 million by the state over the next five years for bioenergy research and a demonstration program that includes construction of a pilot biofuels refinery that will be built in Vonore, Tenn.

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