A New Paradigm in Land Use

FreeWays to Fuel Branches

Roadside Plots Biomass Gasification Urban Farming and Fuel Military Land Utilization

Project Objectives

Explore Non Traditional Agronomic Land Conditions – (roadsides, military, railroad, airports, municipal)

Investigate Economic and Environmental Viability

Evaluate Biomass Choices

Background Information

Roadways ≈ 4 million miles – If 25% of area is used = 10 million acres

Railroads ≈ 140,000 miles of rights of way – If 75% of area is used = 1 million acres

Airports ≈ 19,820– If 100 acres/ airport = 2 million acres

Department of Defense owns 30 million acres of arable land in the United States– If 20% of areas are used ≈ 6 million acres

Potential Benefits/Advantages

Decreases costs of maintenance

Aids in educating the public about renewable fuels

Increases biofuel production

Improved aesthetics

Economic Cliff Notes

$0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 $35

insurance

interest

machine taxes

overhead

fallow cost

land rent

Major Economic Differences of UDOT Land vs Private Land Oilseed Production (FY 2006)

UDOT Private

dollars/acre

co

st

dif

fere

nc

es

Considerations on all of projects

Safety Structural Integrity Establishment and Harvesting Economics Wildlife Impacts Ecology/Environmental Impacts Water Quality Grower Concerns

Prior Research - F2F

F2F Research Results 2007 -2008 Traditional Agronomic Techniques

Traditional no-till/dryland cropping

Less than acceptable yield results

F2F Research ResultsModified Agronomic Techniques

Modified agronomic techniques

Yield was near break even economic point

FreeWays to Fuel Alliance Top Tier Universities

Washington State, Iowa State, Auburn, Michigan State, Montana State, North Carolina State, University of Idaho, SUNY – Cobbleskill, Penn State

Corporate New Holland – tractor donation Great Plains – equipment donation Aerway Ag – aerator donation

Government State Departments of Transportation USDA, DOE, DOD Interests State Energy Departments

UBC Biomass Gasification

Plan to add 10 – 20 kw gasification plant in 2010 (portable)

Analyze biochar for agronomic

Utilize system as a educational platform

Urban Farming and Fuel and FreeWays to Fuel

Non-traditional agronomic land What crops Flexibility of use -

– >10 acres vegetable and fruit crops– < 10 acres utilization for biofuel feedstock

production

Initial UFF Site

200 acres south of SLC airport

Area harbors pests, dry, soils are questionable

Future WWT site There are multiple

sites around our county

UFF Potential Benefits/Advantages

Decreases costs of maintenance

Aids in educating the public about renewable fuels

Increases biofuel production

Improved aesthetics

Military Land Utilization

Technologies– Gasification– Cellulosic– Liquid Fuels

Groups of Interest– Army Corps of Engineers– Marines– Navy– Air Force Research Lab

2010 Outlook

F2F plots will be located in – Utah– Tennessee– Michigan– North Carolina

UFF plots– Utah