Energy
Fibrowatt. Fibrowatt is coming to Sampson County. Fibrowatt announced that is has chosen a site near Faison, NC to build a power plant that utilizes poultry litter to produce electricity. The plant could possibly be operational in 2011. Fibrowatt is still evaluating sites in the northwest and south central areas of the state for possibly two additional plants. NCFB staff worked to include requirements in the recently passed Renewable and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard to promote energy generation from animal waste, such as Fibrowatt.
Biofuels Center. The Biofuels Center of NC recently awarded $2.5 million in grants to 15 biofuels projects in the state. The grants ranged from crop/feedstock research to biofuel production. The long-term task of the newly established Biofuels Center of North Carolina is to catalyze a new biofuels industry for North Carolina. The Biofuels Center was created last year and initially funded by a $5 million appropriation. NCFB staff participated in the development of the strategic plan that called for the creation of the center.
Biofuels Center of North Carolina - The recently approved NC budget included $5M to establish a Biofuels Center in Oxford. The Center has been created as a 501(c)(3) non-profit and an interim board has been appointed. The Center is tasked with creating a viable biofuels industry in NC. In 2006, the NC General Assembly created a biofuels advisory committee. It was charged with developing a vision and roadmap for promoting and producing biofuels (ethanol, biodiesel) in North Carolina. The final report called for the creation of the Biofuels Center to continue working towards creation of a viable biofuels industry in the State. NCFB served on the steering committee and worked to have the appropriation for the Center included in the state budget.