Home : Case Studies : Gridley, CA
Turning Waste To Energy
Gridley, California
Rice Straw
Field Collection Rice Bales
Rice Straw Bales - Sacramento Valley
Gridley, California, located in the nexus of California's rice growing region, is highly dependent on rice
production. As a result of the high degree of rice waste (rice straw) in the area, Gridley took steps to
convert the waste product into Biofuels. To that end, supported by the Department of Energy (DOE), the
Gridley Ethanol Project was initiated. The program's objective was to find solutions that would spur preservation
of the community's agriculture economy in the region, while using rice straw to co-produce bio-ethanol and bio-energy.
Gridley, under a contract from the DOE, prepared a Biofuels report for the DOE that demonstrates how its ethanol
project could solve a major rice straw disposal problem and help maintain economic viability in the region. As
cited in the report, the newest challenge for California's farmers is to develop alternative uses for the straw
left over after harvest. As a result of state limitations on disposing rice straw through burning, California's
rice growers are increasingly looking for other disposal methods.
As part of the DOE contract, Red Lion Bio-Energy's thermal chemical conversion (TCC) process was chosen by
Gridley as one of three relevant technologies for its ability to convert biomass to Biofuel. The TCC system
efficiently converts biomass to Biofuel using a pyrolysis and steam reforming technology coupled with a
patented scrubbing system for post production clean-up. Currently, Gridley's municipal utility is responsible
for delivering electrical power to the community and some surrounding areas.
The project:
- Supports continued rice farming in the Sacramento Valley by providing a practical straw disposal alternative to burning.
- Create jobs, a new tax base and economic development in the Sacramento Valley.
- Complies with environmental legislative mandates intended to phase out most of the open field rice straw burning.
DOE Gridley Biofuels Project (Phase I) Report
DOE Gridley Biofuels Project (Phase II) Report
Photo source: Gridley Biofuels Project Phase I Interim Report, pgs.1,28, 29