Minnesota Project To Make Oil From Algae

As I've mentioned before, algae is probably the most overlooked solution to our energy problems... and now it appears that Excel Energy has given a grant to the University of Minnesota to research its potential.

Some people talk about ethanol made from corn as the energy solution... but that's a non-starter. Ethanol requires more energy to create that is released when its burned. Others talk about biodeisel made from corn or soybeans. That makes a lot more sense, but it's still land-intensive. Corn only produces 18 gallons of oil per acre, whereas soybeans can only do 48 gallons. If you're lucky enough to live in the tropics, you can extract 635 gallons of oil from an acre of palm trees... but the rest of us are out of luck.

In comparison, algae produces 5,000 gallons of oil per acre. Not only that, but algae feeds off of pollution! You can grow it on wastewater from a sewage treatment plant, or feed it air pollution from an industrial smokestack. It thrives in both conditions, and produces a remarkable amount of oil... you can then use this oil directly in a diesel engine, or refine it to make gasoline. I prefer the former...

Imagine that... recycling our garbage to make energy. It's the holy grail of closing-the-loop on recycling...