Running Up Against Oil
Richard Gincel
San Diego is such a heavyweight in biofuel research that a cluster of labs and experimentation sites that cropped up in La Jolla in recent years has taken on the name Biotech Beach.
It’s home to dozens of companies collaborating on projects to produce marketable fuel products from sources ranging from corn to algae to cooking oil.
The enterprise appears to have impressive traction in the region, but an overarching question persists: At a time when gas hovers at a relatively low $3 per gallon, is the biofuel industry still thriving, indicating a long-term commitment among investors?
San Diego Gas & Electric puts a bold check in the plus column for biofuel production, as plans are under way to meet its voluntary goal of delivering 33 percent of its energy portfolio from renewable resources by 2020.
