Last week (20th April) Rod Nilsestuen, Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, announced the formation of the North Central Bio- economy Consortium (NCBEC), a 12-state collaborative effort between the directors of the State Departments of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Services and University Agricultural Experiment Stations. Secretary Nilsestuen, the newly elected President of NCBEC, will make this announcement at an Earth Day event at the University of Wisconsin - Nelson Institute titled "Sustaining the Wisconsin Landscape. Biofuels Challenges and Opportunities." 

Together the institutions from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin will help guide the transition to greater use of bio-based fuels and products. These states already lead the nation in the production of biofuels, and they have the potential to lead the nation in producing feedstocks for the next generation of cellulosic biofuels and bioenergy - materials such as switchgrass, crop residues, woody crops, mill residues and wood residues. This casts the region into the national spotlight as the US congress considers federal farm policy that will help shift our energy reliance from the Middle East to the Midwest.

NCBEC has also recently agreed to collaborate with the Midwest Governor's Association on policy review and development for a proposed Energy Summit to be held later this year.

"We are committed to making sure the North Central region leads the way in renewable energy while protecting our natural resources and boosting our rural economies," said Rod Nilsestuen, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. "Today the North Central region is the leader in ethanol production and for our future we will lead in the transition to cellulosic biofuels from perennial bioenergy crops and other biomass sources."

The 12-state consortium met for the first time February 10th of this year in Washington D.C. to develop a memorandum of understanding for the three participating organizations. A strategic partnership has been formed with the Great Plains Institute of Minneapolis, MN to assist in coordination, facilitation and implementation of the 12- state consortium agenda. The NCBEC recently received a $100,000 grant from the Energy Foundation of San Francisco to coordinate regional public policy development and research for a renewable energy future.

"We will use collaborative research programs through our Midwest universities to make sure that our valuable working lands of agriculture and forestry are used in a sustainable manner for future generations," said Forrest Chumley, Associate Director of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station at Kansas State University.

"The long history of University Extension offices in working with local communities, producers, and business leaders to make sure state-of-the-art research goes to work in our farms, forests and local businesses helps guarantee that bioeconomy growth will benefit all," said Dennis Campion, Associate Dean of Illinois Cooperative Extension. 2801 21st Avenue South, Suite 230 Minneapolis, MN 55407 612 278-7150 www.gpisd.net

The NCBEC recently submitted summary work to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) documenting the 12-state North Central region's achievements and potential in leading the transition to greater use of bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts.

"These are exciting times for the North Central Region and the United States as we move toward greater use of renewable energy and fuels," said Sara Bergan, executive director of the Great Plains Institute. "This consortium provides our region the opportunity to develop the next generation of biofuel feedstocks and energy technologies while also providing the research and policy tools necessary to ensure long-term sustainability and economic vitality."