This does not make a good accounting for the billions poured into developing corn-based ethanol:
http://www.businessinsider.com/government-wasting-gobs-of-money-on-ethanol-prodcution-2010-1

2009 A Disastrous Year For Biodiesel Production

I wasn't aware of this, but it is very significant:

http://theenergycollective.com/TheEnergyCollective/55817

Federal Subsidies For Biofuel Ended (For Now)

Now we will see if the bofuels industry can survive on market forces rather than federal government subsidies:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Bad-year-for-biofuel-ends-on-apf-896269665.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode=

This news article in the Danville (VA) Register and Bee caught my attention a while back:

American Municipal Power has been awarded a $29 million zero-interest Clean Renewable Energy Bond from the federal government to build a solar-powered energy plant in the Danville area.

The bond, financed through funds from the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 and the Recover Act, was one of 805 projects totaling $2.2 billion announced Tuesday by the U.S. Treasury Department. The energy bonds were issued to cooperative electric companies, like AMP, as well as gov-ernment agencies and public power providers, to obtain lower cost financing for clean energy development projects.

Now I am all for Danville, VA getting all of the new investment dollars that they can possibly obtain. They have been ravaged by factory closings and job losses for two decades and their current unemployment is in the high teens. That said, I am not sure that solar energy is the technology on which the Southern Region of Virginia wants to hang its hat. That region can only count on getting solar radiation of about 3-5 kWh/sqm/day. This is quite a bit less than locations in the southwest U.S. which will get about 5-8 kWh/sqm/day. I hope that it works out for them, but they may not get the return on investment that will be necessary to prove the commerciality of solar technology.

The Southern Virginia region is rich in agriculture and forestry assets. I think it offers more potential for the region to develop renewable energy potential by harvesting energy crops such as switchgrass and miscanthus as well as forestry residues. They could put in a 75-100 MW gasification-based power generation system for slightly more cost. Then could also install biorefineries to convert these feedstocks into ethanol. That would seem to be a better investment.

Either way, the Danville area stands to be a player in the renewable energy market in the years to come. With the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville is conducting plant biology research to develop super breeds of energy grasses, there is quite a potential for economic development in the area in the renewable energy economy. Good for them.

I have just read "New Energy for the Fifth District: A Blueprint for Putting Southside and Central Virginia at the Forefront of the Clean energy Economy", which has been issued by 5th District Virginia Congressman Tom Perriello. I am completely in alignment with the vision described in the blueprint. Southside Virginia is poised to become a major player in an emerging bioenergy industry. Our rich agricultural heritage, the local farming community, our abundant natural resources, the biomass research efforts underway at the Institute for Sustainable and Renewable Resources at IALR and the new Sustainable Energy Technology Center that was funded by the Tobacco Commission can be pulled together into an integrated, community-based energy economy that will keep our energy dollars in the region rather than go offshore, and will give the region tremendous opportunities for new investments that will create new jobs.

Here is a link to the Congressman's blueprint:
http://perriello.house.gov/uploads/Perriello%20Energy%20Blueprint1.pdf