Algae Power

Company pushing catfish ponds as biofuel farms
Eleanor Barkhorn • Delta Democrat Times
November 25, 2008

GREENVILLE — With the catfish industry in turmoil and fuel prices in flux, an Arizona-based energy company has a plan for Mississippi's catfish farmers: transform their ponds into biofuel farms.

At a recent Mississippi Biomass Council meeting, PetroSun BioFuels unveiled a proposal to convert Mississippi's catfish ponds into algae farms. The algae, which have a high oil content, would be converted to biodiesel, ethanol, animal feed and other products.

By providing a potentially profitable use for Mississippi's 80,000 acres of catfish ponds, PetroSun's plan has generated interest from members of the state's aquaculture industry.

"This is definitely something that catfish farmers are interested in looking at as an alternative source of revenue for their farms," said Andy Whittington, president of the Mississippi Biomass Council. Read More

I was fascinated with my recent visit to a catfish farm in Alabama and that is probably the biggest reason this article caught my eye. However, it also shows how important agriculture is going to be in developing alternative energies. Pretty much every form of alternative energy coming down the line is going to require the cooperation of rural American’s in order for them to come to fruition.