The UT Research Foundation created Genera Energy LLC as a for-profit limited liability company in 2008 as a vehicle to carry out the cellulosic biorefinery activities and capital projects of the UT Biofuels Initiative. Genera was charged with building a pilot plant to test the commercial feasibility of using switchgrass as the biomass to produce cellulosic fuel. It originally partnered with Mascoma, but Mascoma withdrew, and Genera partnered instead with DuPont Danisco, which had developed a process for conversion of corn stover. The pilot refinery utilized corn stover, with a promise to try switchgrass in the future. Following the five-year period of state funding for the project, Genera Energy was spun off in 2012 by UT into a private, freestanding limited liability company, Genera Energy Inc., utilizing its experience and expertise in energy crop production and supply chains. The original Genera Energy LLC model was then renamed TennEra LLC. TennEra continues to own the demonstration scale biorefinery operated by DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol and the Biomass Innovation Park facilities in Vonore, operated by Genera Energy Inc. TennEra’s immediate primary focus became leveraging separation technologies to make use of the entire plant, not just the cellulosic component, focusing especially on lignin.