Energy Grasses Lead the Way in Lessening U.S. Dependency on Foreign Oil

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first guaranteed, university-backed strain of giant miscanthus grass is now available and is being commercialized by SunBelt Biofuels LLC, a leader in biofuel innovation, which has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Mississippi State University (MSU).

MSU has been studying Freedom Giant Miscanthus grass for 12 years. Results of that dedicated research indicate that Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a viable alternative to other biofuel sources, like corn, switchgrass and timber.

The implications of today's announcement are significant. Finding innovative, yet immediately workable, solutions in biofuels lessens U.S. dependence on foreign oil and gas. Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a product that begins immediately to move the U.S. away from foreign energy dependence. Freedom Giant Miscanthus takes only one year to replace, as opposed to timber, which takes 20 years to replace due to the growing cycle.

Freedom Giant Miscanthus also promises to stimulate rural economies, as it takes less land, costs less to grow, and is very profitable for farmers. For example, in the state of Georgia farms that grow Freedom Giant Miscanthus will see income rise more than $2 billion above crops that are grown currently. Freedom Giant Miscanthus produces over 3,000 gallons of ethanol per acre.

According to Phillip Jennings, CEO of SunBelt Biofuels, the state of Georgia needs to plant 2.4 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus to become energy independent.

"In Georgia, we can take 10 percent of our commercial timber land or 24 percent of our crop land, and we would be where we need to be to sustain just this one state," said Mr. Jennings. "With 10 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus, Georgia would become the number 7 OPEC fuel producer in the world."

Facts about Freedom Giant Miscanthus:

1. Grasses are king in the race to solve the U.S.' reliance on foreign oil. Freedom Giant Miscanthus yields three times more than switchgrass, five times than corn, and six times what timber does, meaning that a farmer can get a 25 ton yield from Freedom Giant Miscanthus per acre.

2. Freedom Giant Miscanthus needs no government subsidy to be profitable.

3. It is branded as "Freedom Giant Miscanthus" to denote its ability to free the U.S. from dependency on foreign oil.

4. Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a non-food biomass.

SunBelt Biofuels LLC, headquartered in Soperton, Georgia, is an innovator in the quest to bring workable solutions for alternative fuels to market and leading the Southeast U.S. into the American consumer fuel market. It was founded three years ago to participate in the research and commercialization of viable non-food biomass solutions that will increase ethanol production, thus decreasing the U.S.' dependency on foreign countries for oil. SunBelt Biofuels has the exclusive license to commercialize Freedom Giant Miscanthus, a biomass source from which ethanol and electricity can be produced effectively, efficiently, and profitably.

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