A Wisconsin inventor and entrepreneur has created a way to make ethanol from cheese production byproducts.
In a world of diminishing oil reserves, a new alternative fuel may play to one of Wisconsin's strengths: cheese.
Joe Van Groll, an entrepreneur with 13 years of experience in the cheese industry, has created a method of combining a byproduct of cheese production called permeate with specialized yeast to create alcohol ethanol, according to a statement by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
The alcohol ethanol produced is akin to corn-based fuels but costs almost one-fourth of the amount to make. Groll also combines the ethanol with canola oil to create biodeisel, which he uses to power a generator for the production plant and sell excess energy to the electric company.
I don't use energy; I put it back on the grid. I don't slurp up water; I purify and recycle it. I don't push up food costs; I dispose of waste,"" Groll said in a statement.
