By Adam Wilmoth
Business Writer
As printed in the The Oklahoman, October 12, 2007.

Joe Bouton is looking for a bigger sandbox.

Bouton, director of the Ardmore-based Noble Foundation's Forage Improvement Division, and the other Oklahoma scientists and researchers looking for ways to convert native Oklahoma grasses into ethanol are turning much of their focus to expanding a multiyear test program into one or two massive commercial-scale crops. Test fields ranging from a quarter acre to 5 acres dot the region, but Oklahoma researchers are planning either a 1,000-acre plot or two 500-acre fields by spring.

"If you look at 5-acre plots, industry players don't have a playground to try out ideas," Bouton said. "The field will allow them to modify and test harvest and other equipment. It's not just going to be a plot standing out there. It's going to be a research lab for equipment manufacturers, agronomists and other researchers."

The large-scale field is considered one of the most visible aspects of the new Oklahoma Bioenergy Center, a new consortium of researchers at the Noble Foundation, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. The virtual center was established earlier this year with $10 million from the Legislature. The group is expected to ask lawmakers for three more $10 million installments over the next three years.

The center is designed to help attract cellulosic ethanol plants to Oklahoma. Cellulosic ethanol uses tough plants such as switchgrass, alfalfa and certain trees to create the transportation fuel. Industry proponents say cellulosic technology is essential for the country to even begin to approach federal government mandates. It's also considered the best way for Oklahoma to participate in the ethanol industry, said Bobby Wegener, Oklahoma's deputy secretary of energy.

"We think Oklahoma has the potential to produce at least 200 million gallons of ethanol by 2018," Wegener said. "That will be a mix of corn and cellulosic ethanol. The majority for Oklahoma has to come from cellulosic ethanol. We don't grow enough corn to support that level otherwise."

One 50,000-gallon ethanol plant is estimated to create up to 270 direct and indirect jobs and have an annual economic impact of $40 million, Wegener said.

Interest in cellulosic ethanol has grown substantially in recent years, but many technical challenges remain. Oklahoma Bioenergy Center researchers are addressing numerous issues including how to increase the yield of swtichgrass and other plants, how best to transport the plants to refineries and how to convert the crops into fuel more efficiently.

One major problem in developing cellulosic ethanol is getting a refinery before farmers begin growing energy crops or convincing farmers to grow switchgrass before a refinery is on site.

"When the OBC establishes 1,000 acres of an energy crop, it helps with the chicken-and-the-egg problem of what's going to come to Oklahoma first," Wegener said. "It also will allow us to gain data to show both to ag producers and the industry that these crops can be produced here. It also allows us to look at the area of harvest and transport."

The bioenergy center developed as a result of the inaugural Grow: Oklahoma Biofuels Conference last October.

"We asked the questions of where we go from here and how do we harness this enthusiasm and support," Oklahoma Energy Secretary David Fleischaker said. "Within a six-week period, we drew together the leaders of each institution (OU, OSU and the Noble Foundation) who drafted a mission statement, a proposed budget and a research program."

After gaining the support of Gov. Brad Henry and the Legislature, the bioenergy center began funding additional cellulosic ethanol research.

"The scientists in the state are discussing what programs are going on, making sure we're addressing all critical issues and that we don't duplicate our effort," said Steven Rhines, the Noble Foundation's vice president, general counsel and director of public affairs. "We've been very successful in recent months attracting (U.S. Department of Energy) and (U.S. Department of Agriculture) grants to fill in the gaps in our ongoing research."

The biofuels effort will continue next week with the second Oklahoma Bioengrgy Conference.

"I think it's important because it will inform our farmers and ranchers and the public that this wasn't a flash in the pan and that this is a significant, ongoing effort," Fleischaker said. "In addition, the conference will allow us to demonstrate to federal officials and the industry that we have a continuing commitment to the effort."

The conference will be Tuesday and Wednesday at the Sheraton Downtown Oklahoma City.

Speakers will include former Central Intelligence Agency Director James Woolsey, representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and numerous scientists, researchers and industry representatives from throughout the country.

This article appeared in The Oklahoman, www.newsok.com, on October 12, 2007.