South Dakota
South Dakota ranks 48th in energy consumption in the United States, consuming 263.6 trillion Btu per year.[i] Despite the relatively low energy usage, a bi-partisan coalition of energy-conscious State representatives and senators sponsored Resolution Number 8, which establishes, “South Dakota's commitment to the development of the bioeconomy.” It declares that the State, “will seek to have demonstrations of key biomass technologies by 2015,” by creating incentives to invest in “gasification, biodiesel, ethanol, heat and power” technologies.[ii] The current incentive is a property tax exemption for the use of biomass.[iii]
South Dakota State University (SDSU) is involved in several aspects of biomass development. In 2007, SDSU received a grant to research biomass technologies. Their line of research could eventually identify additional biomass opportunities based on a genetic predisposition of a material to be an efficient feedstock with high energy output.[iv] SDSU is also one of the five national regional centers awarded under the Sun Grant Initiative to help “build a biobased economy.” Under the Sun Grant program, SDSU has been “charged with making significant advances in biobased industries for the benefit of America's independent farmers, rural communities, and public at large.”[v] SDSU has developed working partnerships through the Sun Grant, one of which is with Iowa State University. Their current collaborative project is titled, “Single Pass Harvest Technologies for Corn Stover and Corn Cobs,” and is working to develop more efficient ways of harvesting corn stover as a feedstock.[vi]
Non-university research and development efforts are also underway. The Black Hills biomass utilization research project is engaged in a feasibility study, as well as working to increase interest in woody biomass operations; currently there are seventeen various organizations interested in collaborating on projects in the near future.[vii] Another organization with similar goals is Dakota Rural Action (DRA), whose mission is to, “remove the barriers and promote the development of clean renewable energy sources like wind power, and biofuels.”[viii] DRA works to educate and politically mobilize citizens from its six local chapters across the state. There are currently and 32 E85 gas stations in South Dakota, partially supplied by 17 biofuel refineries around the state, which produce at least 2,929 million gallons per year.[ix][x] South Dakota also has one biodiesel production facility with an annual production capacity of 7 million gallons.[xi]
The state is ranked as one of the top producers of corn/soybeans, which are key ingredients in biofuel. In addition, the state also has a large amount of forest and agriculture residue that could be harvested as feedstocks. Two thousand tons of logging residue is left on the ground in the Black Hills region alone, every year.[xii] South Dakota’s total forest resources are estimated to be 30.3 million dry tons, a figure which is scheduled to be reevaluated again in 2010.[xiii] South Dakota has the potential to harvest 64.3 million tons of biomass from warm-season grasses.[xiv]