Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen today announced his support for a new
statewide alternative fuels initiative led by the University of
Tennessee.

Gov. Bredesen announced that his proposed budget to the Tennessee
General Assembly will include $40 million to build a pilot biomass
ethanol plant. The governor also plans to request research investments
of:

$10 million to be divided between UT and ORNL for research to increase
switchgrass production and efficiencies in production of ethanol from
biomass.

$3 million for research to find additional, non-biomass alternative fuel
sources.

$8 million in incentives to help Tennessee farmers tap into the new
farm-based fuels market and produce switchgrass in quantities necessary
to supply the pilot ethanol project.

"We thank the governor for his foresight and confidence," said UT
President John Petersen in an e-mail to faculty and staff across the
state. "I am convinced that this is perhaps the ultimate economic
development opportunity for rural Tennessee and rural America. We look
forward to making the opportunity a reality."

To read the Governor's announcement from today, click here:
http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/governor/viewArticleContent.do?id=96

More information about the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative can be found
here: http://www.agriculture.utk.edu/Biofuel/index.htm