The recent rise in gas prices has many folks thinking about biofuels. In fact, in the last week, the Associated Press reported that the push from Congress and the White House for hugh increases in biofuels is prompting the oil industry to scale back it plans for refinery expansions -- which could keep gas prices high for years to come. (AP stories appear in many media outlets and Web sites. Use the seven-day free search with the keyword "biofuel" to find this story.) The article, by H. Josef Hebert, says oil industry executives no longer believe there will be the demand for gasoline over the next decade to warrant billions of dollars in refinery expansions.
As politicians and oil executives debate the issues, and Americans continue paying mightily at the pumps, UC ANR is bringing together experts in Woodland tomorrow to discuss the potential for biofuel feedstock production in California using crops or crop residues. The event involves representatives from biofuel businesses in California, farmers and UC academics.
I'll be attending and taking extensive notes in order to share with the media any conclusions about UC research and outreach projects focused on biofuel feedstock development that the group is ready to share. For that reason, I won't be here to blog about UC ANR in the media, but will bring the blog up to date on Wednesday.