Twenty miles east of Reno, Nevada, garbage trucks skip the landfill and stop at Fulcrum BioEnergy, where tons of egg shells, coffee grinds, mattresses and other refuse are dumped into a large holding area.

Two hours later, this garbage leaves the facility transformed into jet fuel, as part of an ambitious effort funded by private investors and the federal government to create cheap green energy.  

“We’re producing a newer alternative, cleaner-burning fuel that the market demands, and we’re doing it in a manner that saves money for consumers and makes a profit for our investors,” says Fulcrum BioEnergy president and CEO Jim Macias. “It feels real good to be able to help our government and military with what they consider important national security agenda and issues.”