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SALT LAKE CITY -- An experimental biodiesel plot near Salt Lake International Airport is drawing the interest of the U.S. military.
Earlier this year, Salt Lake County, two sewer districts and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teamed up to grow safflower on 20 acres of city-owned farmland.
The idea came from researchers at Utah State University, who will now squeeze oil from the crop to produce biodiesel fuel.
Monday, the U.S. Army and National Biodiesel Board came to tour the site to see if the same thing could be done on unused military land.
"The military is very concerned of the security of the nation's fuel supply and are already implementing own internal ways to get energy so they don't have to rely on someone else," said USU research scientist Dallas Hanks.
Researchers estimate there are 10 million acres available nationally for this project, which could produce a billion gallons of biodiesel.
