Oklahoma Hosts Conference On Biofuel Industry

Tuesday, October 16th 2007, 1:49 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry says Oklahoma has a chance to use alternatives fuels such as biofuels to diversify its economy, revitalize rural areas of the state and become a leader in alternative energy.

Henry spoke Tuesday to the Oklahoma Biofuels Conference in Oklahoma City as government officials, oil and gas producers and agricultural interests have gathered to discuss biofuels. Henry says Oklahoma can become a national and international leader if the oil and gas industry and the agriculture industry work together.

The state Legislature has created the Oklahoma Bioenergy Center in which researchers from Oklahoma State, the University of Oklahoma and the Noble Foundation are working to use switchgrass in producing biofuels. And OSU agricultural engineer Ray Huhnke says a refinery producing 50 million gallons of biofuels per year would mean 270 new jobs in the state.