University of Minnesota finds opportunities in federal agencies’ plans

In Minnesota, University of Minnesota scientists examine three U.S. federal agencies’ visions of how the nation could meet the targets. By comparing and contrasting the DOE’s, EPA’s and USDA’s scenarios, university scientists aim to inform the discussion on this important policy issue. What Minnesota’s role will be in reaching the biofuels standard is one of those differences when it comes to perennial grasses. The USDA projects Minnesota will produce 750,000 to 1 million acres of perennial grasses in 2022, but the DOE and EPA project none. The article’s authors hope that their analysis brings the different federal agencies modeling efforts to the forefront of discussion and assists in the targeting of research efforts to improve projections of future biomass production.