Prime Time for Slime? DOE Invests $24 Million More to Develop Algae as a Biofuel

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The DOE is investing $24 million for three research consortia to help accelerate the development and commercialization of algae as a biofuel. While algae has tremendous energy potential, transforming the slimy stuff into biofuels has been a technological headache and an expensive proposition. The three research groups include universities, national laboratories and private industry and will work on their projects for three years. Researchers are expected to develop ways to produce affordable, high-quality biofuels that are economically and environmentally sustainable. The Energy Department also released its National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap, a guide for future work and investment in algal biofuels.

Quick Take: While spending money on algae research may seem like a dumb thing to do, it looks a lot smarter when you consider that, according to ExxonMobil research, the stuff most of us know as pond scum has the potential to produce 2,000 gallons of fuel per acre, as opposed to 250 gallons from corn. If the technological challenges and cost issues can be overcome, it's a very smart proposition.

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National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap (pdf)

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