News Releases

(KNOXVILLE, Tenn.) - The newly created Office of Bioenergy Programs at the University of Tennessee is actively working toward a secure and sustainable energy future for the state and nation. Housed in the UT Institute of Agriculture, the Office of Bioenergy Programs coordinates a variety of research, development and outreach programs involving biofuels and related bioproducts.

Serving as co-directors for the new office are Dr. Timothy G. Rials and Dr. Kelly Tiller. “It’s an exciting time to be involved in biofuels research,” said Rials, who serves as director of research and development. “Knowing that the science and technology generated from the hard work of a lot of creative and energetic researchers will ultimately have a huge impact on our nation’s energy policy is especially rewarding.”

Dr. Tiller, who serves as director of external relations, is an agricultural economist who helped author the business model for the UT Biofuels Initiative. “We’re fortunate that UT has so many different programs, initiatives and efforts underway that involve bioenergy. The Office of Bioenergy Programs will work to coordinate all of these efforts so that we can continue to move forward toward new energy solutions,” said Tiller.

Currently, three major programs are coordinated through the Office of Bioenergy Programs: the UT Biofuels Initiative, the Southeastern Sun Grant Center and BioSucceed.

The UT Biofuels Initiative is a research and business model that proposes the construction of a cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in east Tennessee. The facility will be supplied with 170 tons per day of locally grown biomass (switchgrass and wood chips) that will be converted into liquid fuels. The principal product of this state-funded program will be Grassoline – ethanol derived from cellulosic plant material.

The Sun Grant Initiative is a federally funded program that aims to solve America’s energy needs and revitalize rural communities. Working in partnership with several federal agencies, the program draws on the strengths of the land-grant university system to advance research, education and extension programs on renewable, biobased energy. The University of Tennessee serves as the Southeastern Sun Grant Center, one of five regional centers placed throughout the country.

BioSucceed is an educational curriculum that’s being developed in coordination with North Carolina State University and North Carolina A & T. The goal of the program is to create the curriculum for a graduate degree program tailored to the unique issues associated with conversion of biomass to alternative fuels and products. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, BioSucceed will provide the information needed to educate a skilled workforce on the structure, properties and behavior of biobased materials that will be vital to energy production in the future.

To learn more about the Office of Bioenergy Programs, visit their website at www.UTbioenergy.org.

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Contact:
Patterson Wilson, UT Office of Bioenergy Programs, (865) 974-5807, pattersonw@utk.edu