Grass-seed growers hope for bioenergy plant

Oregon grass-seed growers hope to break ground next year on a $25 million bioenergy plant in the Willamette Valley.

The facility would convert straw and other waste into products like ethanol, electricity, fertilizer and compost.

A number of obstacles stand in the way, most notably the twin challenges of attracting private investment and qualifying for state business energy tax credits. But with a feasibility study and detailed business plan already completed, the growers and other project participants say now is the time to move a decidedly old-school industry into the future.

A single plant, hosting private companies relying on integrated green technologies, would create 76 construction jobs for six months, lead to full-time employment for 20 to 30 workers and consume 25,000 to 40,000 tons of straw, according to the recently finished business plan.

Read more at OregonLive.com.

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