BioTown?

Gov. Daniels, working with the Dept. of Agriculture, wants to convert the 550 person town of Reynolds, just north of Lafayette, into a city run entirely on renewable energy sources. Part of the plan could use methane from sewer gases and local hog farms (pig droppings are a fertile source of gas as any driver on I-65 will swear to) to power electrical generators.

Step One appears to be asking the town's only gas station to offer E85 fuel, a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The task force hope Reynolds residents alter vehicles to use the fuel. Okay it sounds like regular gasoline will still be offered and several new vehicles can run on unleaded gas and E85. However I don't know about people willingly undertaking the expense to convert their personal vehicles to run on E85. That requires gaskets, hoses, and other parts of the engine and fuel system to be resistant to the corrosive (for lack of a better word) effects of ethanol. The state is thinking about incentives to assist with the cost for individuals and businesses. The town owns three vehicles and agreed to the conversion process.

""We want to make this a model for other communities in the future," said Deborah Abbott, spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture."

Gov. Daniels wants to demonstrate the worth of our crops. Currently agribusiness is a $6 billion a year industry to the state. His hope is to demonstrate alternative energy sources to citizens.

It is bold and ballsy. Everything mentioned has worked elsewhere on a small scale. Granted 550 people is still pretty small scale if you think about it. I say go for it. If we as a society want energy independence we'll need to see if things like this work. If a smooth transition occurs that wins the hearts and minds of people. If it is a pain in the butt it'll turn people off to taking risks.