Hello to all: With the following Article as reference: The useful use of rice straw is a continuing concern for California, the article makes no mention of it as a problem/resource in Arkansas. Rice hulls are mentioned but not the straw. My question is: "how is rice straw handled in that state?"
We are working on a business plan/project to convert it to ethanol and "almost pure" cellulose cattle feed. The more we can learn about rice straw the better. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Cc: <biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 3:40 AM Subject: [biofuels-biz] Lawmaker Proposes Tax To Help Find Alternative Fuels > http://www.arkansasnews.com/276196364930299.bsp > ArkansasNews Little Rock > Lawmaker Proposes Tax To Help Find Alternative Fuels > > By Wesley Brown > > Arkansas News Bureau > Tuesday, October 29, 2002 > LITTLE ROCK - With war on the horizon and the possibility of higher > fuel prices, Rep. Herschel Cleveland, D-Paris, outlined a plan on > Monday that would create an "alternative fuels" commission by levying > a $3 annual tax on Arkansas electric and gas users. > > Cleveland, who presented a draft copy of his bill during the Joint > Committee on Energy meeting at the state Capitol, said he plans to > introduce the bill during the 84th General Assembly. The regular > session begins Jan. 13. > > "When we get up in the morning, we don't know what is going to happen > that day," Cleveland said of the threat of war with Iraq. "We need to > reduce our dependency and look to some alternative fuels other than > oil." > > During the hearing, a number of presenters provided the legislative > committee with a host of alternative fuel and renewable energy > options, ranging from wind, hydroelectric and solar power to fuels > produced by recycling chicken litter and soybean oil. > > Chris Benson, director of the Arkansas Energy Office of the Arkansas > Department of Economic Development, said nearly 80 percent of the > state's $4.2 billion energy diet now comes from fuel sources outside > the state. > > Of that amount, less than 8 percent comes from renewable energy > sources, Benson said. > > Jim Wimberly, president of the Foundation for Organic Resources > Management in Fayetteville, told the joint committee that Arkansas > has many available sources of unused alternative energy sources, such > as chicken litter, sawdust and rice hulls. > > He said his nonprofit group is studying ways to convert chicken > litter into energy that can be used to heat poultry houses and lower > excessive levels of phosphorus - that comes from chicken litter - in > drinking water. > > Currently, there are 2,700 poultry farms in Arkansas generating 480 > tons of litter per farm each year, he said. "The potential for > expanding this type of energy warrants your attention as you look at > your energy options." > > Wimberly admitted to the committee that the research and technology > needed to create litter-to-energy systems are at least two years > away, mainly because of a lack of start-up capital. > > He said most of these projects need some type of government > partnership or funding to be competitive with non-renewable energy > sources. > > "Help us to reduce the risk," Wimberly said. > > Under Cleveland's bill, a 25 cents tax would be levied on every > residential electric and gas meter each month. Additionally, > commercial and industrial users would be charged 25 cents per $1,000 > of electric or natural gas use on each monthly bill. > > Cleveland estimates the tax, which would be collected by utility > companies, would raise about $2 million per year to finance an > alternative fuels fund and establish a seven-person commission to > oversee it. > > All money collected through the tax would be used by the commission > to provide loans and grants to groups that are involved in > alternative fuel research and renewable energy projects. > > "There are a lot of people in Arkansas doing things, but there is no > focal point," Cleveland said of alternative energy research in the > state. "I think that everyone agrees this needs to be done, but the > issue is whether or not it can be funded or not." > *********************** SNIP ************************ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/auyVXB/KJoEAA/jd3IAA/9bTolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://webconx.green-trust.org/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
