Lamar University supports renewable fuel initiative

[Guest abovetherim]

10/16/2007 With oil prices over $80 a barrel, the entire nation is taking a serious look at alternative fuel sources.  Southeast Texas is no different, and Lamar University is helping the BioEnergy Alliance of Southeast Texas showcase the region’s potential for bioenergy production.

“The natural resources and infrastructure that have made the gas and oil economy flourish in southeast Texas give us a ready advantage when competing for alternative energy investment,†said Jim Rich, president of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.

As a member of the BioEnergy Alliance of Southeast Texas, Lamar University supports the organizational goal of attracting potential alternative fuel companies.

Members of the alliance include the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Entergy, The Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, Douget’s Rice Milling Company, and Lamar University.

The alliance works to attract investors, which will add jobs and help spark the local economy.  Investors seek out locations that fulfill four criteria: agricultural infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, proximity to consumers, and research and intellectual capital.

Lamar’s Associate Provost of Research Don Cotten serves as the university’s representative in the alliance and said our region is an ideal location for alternative fuel production because it meets all of the requirements for bioenergy production.

Beaumont’s prime location, with abundant rainfall, fertile soil and access to the Gulf, allows southeast Texas to contribute 19 percent of the state’s agricultural revenue.  The region also offers access to one of the nation’s largest and most active deepwater ports and has extensive rail and interstate infrastructure, as well as an established network of underground pipelines.  These assets, combined with the readily available alliance and user-friendly nature of the region, result in southeast Texas’s standing as one of the most competitive areas in the state.

Governor Rick Perry implemented an economic search initiative last fall and local businesspeople began, as Cotten called it, “a loose working group.† Over the past year, the group has come together to form the BioEnergy Alliance for Southeast Texas and has been successful in attracting potential investors.

Representatives from groups across the country have traveled to southeast Texas to experience the resources the area has to offer. Although there are not any commitments yet, several companies are strongly considering making southeast Texas their home for alternative fuel facilities, according to Cotten.

“The alliance serves many purposes and it certainly brings bioenergy potential to the radar of state legislators,†said Ted Wilson, director of the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Beaumont.  “Groups will now provide money for bioenergy research at Lamar University and Texas A&M University because a strong interest in this renewable energy source has been established.â€

National newspapers and magazines have highlighted the benefits of these renewable fuels.  Newsweek’s Aug. 2006 story, “Wall Street’s New Love Affair,†discusses why investors are betting billions on clean energy. Among dozens of other nationally recognized newspapers and magazines, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic and Ethanol Today have addressed the need for environmentally safe alternatives to petrochemical fuels being used today.

http://www.lamar.edu/newsevents/news/207_5814.htm