The US Department of Agriculture will award more than $11 million in
grants to universities nationwide to address water supply and water quality
issues, especially related to bioenergy production, acting USDA Secretary
Chuck Conner said Thursday.

"As we move forward in developing our capacity to produce biofuels, we
must understand the impacts on our natural resources," Conner said in a
statement. "These studies will help government, industry and farmers and
ranchers make the most environmentally sound and sustainable choices to
produce bioenergy."

Among the grants is one for investigators at Washington State
University to explore the impacts of irrigating switchgrass for bioenergy
development, the agency said.

On Wednesday, the US National Research Council, a unit of the National
Academies, released a study finding that harm to water quality could be
"considerable" and regional water shortages possible in the US if projected
increases in the use of corn for ethanol production occur without employing
new practices and techniques.

--Cathy Landry, cathy_landry@platts.com