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Associated Press - November 5, 2009 10:15 AM ET
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Some state lawmakers say they were misled in approving $70 million for an initiative to turn switchgrass into ethanol and have delayed approval on part of the project.
The Fiscal Review Committee, a joint House-Senate panel, on Wednesday heard a report on University of Tennessee's Biofuels Initiative that said the project cannot be self-sufficient as originally promised. The committee delayed its approval of an amendment to a contract on operation of the facility that involves about $11 million of the funding.
The president of the company running the project defended changes that had been made and said taxpayers still stand to make "a significant return on their investment" in the long term.
Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com
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