The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is producing cellulosic ethanol and processing one ton a day of feedstock. The laboratory has been working for three years with bioenergy sorghum utilizing sorghum samples provided by the National Sorghum Producers.

Terry Swanson, Vice Chairman of the NSP Board of Directors and a sorghum producer from Walsh, Colorado, says he is pleased with the NREL research because of its potential nationwide impact on the sorghum industry.  He says the work NREL is doing with help from the sorghum industry will help establish sorghum as a major contributor to the nation's quest for energy independence.

The resulting data shows that high biomass forage sorghum demonstrates great potential to fit into cellulosic ethanol conversion. Data is showing that sorghum has a wide range of basic sugars and structure, thus enabling the industry to construct sorghums to meet the needs of multiple biofuel systems.