What is the problem being addressed?

A town with 550 people and 150,000 hogs turns an agricultural waste product into an economic asset. By converting waste from hog farming into a local energy supply. Reynolds is working to become the first energy self-sufficient community in America. This small farming town was having economic problems, so the Department of Agriculture stepped in because they saw the potential to turn it into a “biotown”.

What is their innovative solution?

• Action: Three phases: 1) Increase the number of vehicles in the area that use biofuel.2) add a pump for E-85 fuel at the local BP gas station; research, development and implementation of plans to transform agricultural and municipal waste into energy. 3) calls for upgrading the technology to produce natural gas. The technology is still being developed. Indiana State Department of Agriculture, state officials, researchers and corporate partners were the ones who made the project happen. Resources needed: Local agriculture waste, private alternative energy company (Rose Energy Discovery) made a 10 million dollar investment in a biomass facility.
• People: Officials from the governor’s office; Indiana State Department of Agriculture; City officials.
• Resources: Proposal from officials at the governor’s office and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. 80 percent to 90 percent of the investment comes from the private sector. BioTown Economic Development Authority: consists of a local economic development executive, the president of the county council, the township trustee and one representative each from: Purdue Cooperative Extension, the state agriculture department and the state energy department.