Rice straw could be converted to usable fuel for biomass generators, according to agricultural engineer Bryan Jenkins. Biomass generators use fuel such as wood from forest thinning, farm waste or nonrecyclable paper either to generate electricity directly, or to produce gas that can be used for power generation. Using untreated rice straw as fuel produces a glassy slag, requiring increased boiler maintenance and raising costs. Jenkins' group is researching methods to remove minerals from the straw that form the slag. Leaving harvested straw in flooded rice fields allows most of these minerals to leach out, he said. Until recently biomass generators contributed up to a gigawatt of energy a year to California's needs, but falling power prices since 1995 have caused many to shut down. Rising prices could trigger renewed interest in biomass generation, said Jenkins. Jenkins' research receives funding from the California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy. The group is involved in ongoing collaborative projects with General Electric Environmental Engineering Research Corporation; Whelabrater-Shasta Biomass, Anderson; Woodland Biomass, Woodland; and Wadham Biomass, Williams.