Abby Lietz, Herald Journal Reporter
After filling their tanks on pork burgers and ethanol blended fuel, residents of recently christened BioTown, USA turned out Tuesday to learn more about and show their support for a program that will change their town forever.
With Gov. Mitch Daniels, Indiana Agriculture Director Andy Miller and Ryan West, director of legislative affairs and policy analysis for the agriculture department, leading the announcement events, Reynolds is now officially on track to become the first community to run entirely on biorenewable energy.
Described throughout the eventful morning as enormous and groundbreaking, BioTown, USA is intended to serve as a showcase for the state, the nation and the world, attracting people from everywhere who want to know how to convert their own communities to run off bioenergy.
The project was first outlined Tuesday by Miller and West, as well as members of the BioTown Taskforce — a group of local leaders, agricultural experts and other key players who will help direct the program with local input — during a town-hall-style meeting.
BioTown consists of three phases, the first of which will be to put all the town’s vehicles, both municipal and private, on either ethanol or biodiesel. The second and third phases will bring electricity generation and natural gas conversion to the town of about 547 residents and approximately 400 vehicles.
A driving force behind the project, stated Miller, is the aggressiveness by which it will move ahead.
“We want to be a testing ground for new technologies. We’re taking a bold step forward. One thing we know is that this has to be a community effort; we all have to believe in it. If we do that, this concept will become a reality.” While more specifics about the project are unknown than known, Reynolds is still working to come to grips with the reality of BioTown’s impending impact.
“I don’t think people can fathom this yet, that the future is here,” said Reynolds Town Council member Deb Irey while waiting for Gov. Daniels’ arrival at the 4-H fairgrounds Tuesday. “After today, the work begins.”
Many questions do remain, and some were answered during the community meeting Tuesday.
New facilities will be built at Reynolds, West indicated, but when and for which exact phase, he couldn’t say. Rensselaer will be a likely source to draw some ethanol, he added, and jobs and growth are “definite.
© 2005 The Herald Journal