US has land, water to support 25 billion gallons of algae biofuels: new study

In Washington state, a new analysis shows that the nation’s land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a year in the United States, one-twelfth of the country’s yearly needs. The findings come from an in-depth look at the water resources that would be needed to grow significant amounts of algae in large, specially built shallow ponds.

The results were published in the May 7 issue of Environmental Science and Technology, published by the American Chemical Society. “While there are many details still to be worked out, we don’t see water issues as a deal breaker for the development of an algae biofuels industry in many areas of the country,” said first author Erik Venteris of the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The researchers said that the Gulf Coast and the Southeastern seaboard were especially promising areas for algae cultivation.

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