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Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Ind. Econ. Dev. - Daniels hopes to transform town of Reynolds so it's powered only by renewable power sources

"Hoosier burg to be pilot for energy project: Daniels hopes to transform town of Reynolds so it's powered only by renewable power sources" is the headline to this story by J.K. Wall in the Business Section of today's Indianapolis Star. Some quotes:

Gov. Mitch Daniels and the state's Department of Agriculture want to convert Reynolds, Ind., into BioTown, Ind., and make the community of 550 run entirely on renewable energy sources.

The BioTown project eventually could burn the methane gas produced from the town sewer and neighboring hog farms to generate electricity for Reynolds' homes and businesses.

But first, a state-formed task force will try to get the town's sole gas station to offer E85 fuel, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Then it hopes Reynolds residents alter their Pontiacs and pickups to use the fuel.

A Reuters report:
CHICAGO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - They cannot escape the stench, but residents of tiny Reynolds, Indiana, hope the oceans of hog manure produced nearby will power their homes and businesses some day soon.

"We're very excited," town president Charlie Van Voorst. "They're advertising us as a showcase for the world."

Indiana's energy conservation-minded Gov. Mitch Daniels will take his ethanol-powered recreational vehicle to Reynolds on Tuesday to designate the single stoplight town the world's first "Biotown."

Initially, the 500 townspeople will lease or buy vehicles that run on high concentrations of corn-based ethanol or soy diesel from soybeans.

The second phase will install power-generating equipment that burns gas made from manure, said Deborah Abbott of the state agriculture department said. The electricity generated will power homes and businesses.

"The goal is to create a new use for the manure that's surrounding the town -- as a biofuel," Abbott said.

"The hog farms are all around us. We're used to that smell -- something we live with," Van Voorst said. He added: "And they're talking about using our own (human) waste as a renewable resource."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 13, 2005 07:59 AM
Posted to Environment | Indiana economic development