I love the idea of growing algae that could be converted into biofuel, and I love even more the vision of San Diego becoming the next energy capital of the Western world. Yeah, I know it’s a long shot. But a couple of recent news reports make me think there’s continuing reason for hope.
The Voice of San Diego, which seems to share my enthusiasm, yesterday reported several encouraging tidbits. Among them:
- The San Diego Association of Governments is now figuring there are 30 local companies investigating algal biofuels. These employ 410 workers and generate $56.2 million in economic activities, SANDAG estimates.
- Exxon Mobile has earmarked $300 million for algae research being done in La Jolla by Synthetic Genomics (founded by human genome sequencer J. Craig Venter). A new greenhouse research facility just opened there last month.
BP announced last month it would pay $98.3 million for San Diego’s Verenium Corporation, while “keeping a partnership with the local company.”
The VOSD article also pointed me to a recent New York Times report, which, among other things, mentions that San Diego’s 3-year-old Sapphire Energy has raised $100 from investors including Bill Gates and is also receiving $100 million in federal financing for a demonstration project containing 300 acres of open ponds in the New Mexico desert.
Perhaps most encouraging (if true) to me was a statement by the VOSD writer, Jennifer McEntee, that “a gallon of algae-derived fuel today would cost about $10.” When I last wrote about this topic in Travels in San Diego in May of 2009, the going rate for algal-derived biofuel was being estimated at $30 a gallon.
At that rate of progress, a clean, homegrown alternative to fossil fuel should be available for Christmas of 2011, right? Or at least a girl can dream…
I’ll dream with you!