U of I gets $2 million for biofuel infrastructure study

CHAMPAIGN -- The National Science Foundation will give the University of Illinois $2 million to study transportation and other infrastructure needed to support the new Midwestern biofuels industry.

The university says its research will focus on the degree to which the existing agricultural infrastructure can accommodate the biofuels industry, what more is need and how to build it.

Research also will look at the effect the biofuels industry on land and water use and the climate.

Illinois is already a leading biofuels research institution. It was chosen in 2007 to be part of the $500 million Energy Biosciences Institute, which is being paid for by oil company BP PLC.