Energy leaders weigh benefits of biofuels PARIS, May 3 (UPI) -- Biofuels can help meet rising energy demand because it's compatible with existing infrastructure at retail gasoline stations, a Shell executive said. Mark Williams, downstream director for Royal Dutch Shell told participants at an oil summit in Paris that biofuels could help meet rising demands while diversifying the transport fuel mix. "A key benefit of biofuels like sugar-cane ethanol is that they are compatible with existing infrastructure and can be distributed at ordinary filling stations," he said. The International Energy Agency says global demand for biofuels could triple by 2035 as public acceptance grows. Last year, the U.S. Energy Department announced that, along with the Department of Agriculture, it awarded $12.2 million for 10 separate grants that target improvements in biofuels and bioenergy crops. Meanwhile, international delegates met in Austria for a conference on the use of biomass for the production of electricity. Attendees, during the three-day event, are expected to discuss how biomass can decarbonize the global energy system, the U.N. Industrial Development Organization said. A U.N. report last year warned that energy demand from countries with growing economies, coupled with extreme weather events like the Horn of Africa drought, is complicating food security. The increased use of biofuels could place strains on agriculture systems normally used for food.