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Cellulose to Ethanol. August 2,3 2006 EMF Workshop on Climate Change Impacts and Integrated Assessment John C. Houghton Co-conspirators: Tom Wilson (EPRI), Steve Smith (PNNL/U MD), Steven Rose (EPA) John.Houghton@science.doe.gov
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Cellulose to Ethanol August 2,3 2006 EMF Workshop on Climate Change Impacts and Integrated Assessment John C. Houghton Co-conspirators: Tom Wilson (EPRI), Steve Smith (PNNL/U MD), Steven Rose (EPA) John.Houghton@science.doe.gov Office of Biological and Environmental ResearchOffice of ScienceU.S. Department of Energy
Why might biofuels be important? • Climate change • Not many options for transportation fuels • “Put on the brakes” scenario • Energy security • Could be a lot cheaper • Balance of trade • Rural development • Biology is ready • Spillovers • Plant biology could work for other fuels • Gasification, Fischer Trophs liquids • Conversion technologies could work for other products
A T C G First Steps to a Synthetic Genome • Within a few years bacteria will be generated by computer in high throughput • 5,386 base pair bacteriophage synthesized in 10 days
Reasons for the biomass to biofuel sessions • Inform the Integrated Assessment Community of the opportunities for bioenergy for transportation • IAM modelers, US and abroad • US Energy Information Administration • VIPs who give radio interviews • Provide a context for those in the bioenergy field on the impact of this technology in a climate change perspective • Provide a foundation for improving analysis that takes external impacts as constraints rather than influences • Develop a research agenda for our office to use as the start of a new program • Possibly influence science research program
Agenda • Today: Feedstocks • Tomorrow: Conversion
Notes to speakers and participants: • Speakers: • Please emphasize the intermediate to long run • Please leave lots of time for discussion • Audience: • Please push back on the speakers