A WSU research team, Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance, have found a way to replace ethanol based energy sources with biofuels created from lumber mill waste. Co-director of NARA Mike Wolcott said waste from lumber mills can be used in commercial airliners; the long term goal behind the project was to replace ethanol based energy sources with an environmentally friendly approach. Last year, Wolcott and his 32-person team found a way to use wood waste to power airliners like Alaska Airlines. He said, they demonstrated it by having an Alaskan Airliner travel from Seattle to Washington, D.C. last November.