Aerospace Research Corporation is known for innovation.

1980A:  ARC became the first company to advance the concept that wood can fuel large power plants more efficiently than coal (USDOE, OSTI ID: 6659467).  This is because with coal, slagging occurs and ash removal can be a problem and with an ash content about one-tenth that of coal, wood presents less problems than coal as an alternate fuel.

1980B:  In a project funded by the US Department of Energy (USDOE), the ARC initiated a program to develop biomass as an alternative fuel for gas turbines.  Government reports  (USDOE OSTI ID: 5685622; DE91012129) concluded that the ARC system successfully operated with delivery of power to the Tennessee Valley Authority.  Emissions meet or exceed EPA requirements with no erosion of the turbine detected in over 760 hours of operation.  The system, was deemed by the USDOE to be ready for development of a commercial version. 

1988:  Working under a USDOE contract (AC06-76RL01830, PNL-6565), ARC demonstrated another breakthrough; that with the development of a suitable combustor, manure can be pulverized and fed into a gas turbine combustion system with the manure burning in much the same manner as a liquid or gaseous fuel. Ash and dirt in the manure did not appear to have a significant effect on combustion and were effectively removed by the cyclone filters.