Governor  George Pataki Wednesday announced that two companies have been  selected to develop and construct pilot commercial cellulosic ethanol facilities  in  New  York  State.    The state has awarded a total of up to $25.2  million  to  the  companies  to increase the production of clean and renewable fuels and reduce our dependence on imported energy.

One  of  the  companies  – Mascoma Corporation – will build a 500,000 gallon/year  facility  in the Town of Greece, Monroe County.  This project, which is a collaborative effort with Genencor, an enzyme company in Greece, along  with  Clarkson  University,  Cornell,  and Khosla Ventures, has been awarded a $14,800,000 State grant and will include more than $15 million in private investment.

The other company, Catalyst Renewables Corporation, will build a 130,000-gallon/yr.  biorefinery  adjacent  to the company’s existing wood-to-energy plant in Lyonsdale, Lewis County.

The  two  projects  will  build upon ongoing research at several New York  universities  and  accelerate  efforts  to  make cellulosic ethanol a viable  energy option for commercial use.