Gov. Jennifer Granholm was at the Plant and Soil Sciences Building today discussing MSU’s importance in bioenergy research before a crowd of about 100 people.
University President Lou Anna K. Simon introduced the governor at the open house reception celebrating the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, or GLBRC. It is a joint research venture with University of Wisconsin and a $50 million grant it received from the Department of Energy.
Granholm acknowledged the role biofuels and other energy will play, harping on the pitfalls of dependency on oil.
“Even though oil is down to $100 a barrel, you’re going to see gas prices go through the roof,” Granholm said of oil with Hurricane Ike threatening to hit oil refineries in the Gulf Coast. “In light of that, isn’t it a lot wiser to invest … in long-term solutions that keep our energy here?”
Ken Keegstra, GLBRC executive director and a distinguished professor of plant biology and biochemistry and molecular biology, said biofuels are only one piece of the expansive energy puzzle.
“Biofuels can play a role in solving the state’s energy problems,” Keegstra told the crowd. “But I want to emphasize that it’s not the answer.”
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