KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has landed a $250,000 federal grant to study the possible use of certain farming biomass in the production of jet fuel.
The institute says the Federal Aviation Administration grant will fuel a one-year study that looks into the use of pennycress, soybean, canola, carinata and camelina and softwood logging residues.
The study is expected to involve airports around Nashville; Memphis; Chattanooga; Birmingham, Alabama; and Atlanta, Georgia.
The institute says the pace of commercializing sustainable aviation fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions needs to be accelerated.
Researchers additionally will create projections of job creation, economic activity, labor income, farmer revenue and state and local taxes generated from the possible use of biomass to fuel airplanes.
Washington State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University and Pennsylvania State University will collaborate on portions of the research.
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