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Truly Sustainable Renewable Future
April 17, 2012 – 10:42 am | No Comment

Advanced Biofuels are high-energy liquid transportation fuels derived from: low nutrient input/high per acre yield crops; agricultural or forestry waste; or other sustainable biomass feedstocks including algae.  The key word is “sustainable.”
A technical definition that …

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Navy to Demonstrate Great Green Fleet This Summer
May 21, 2012 – 7:35 pm | No Comment

(CNN)  The U.S. Navy for the first time will demonstrate what it calls a Great Green Fleet, a carrier strike group operating in large part on nonfossil fuels, during a larger, 22-nation exercise this summer.
The …

Enough Corn? USDA Says “Abundantly so”, Forecasting Record 2012 Harvest
May 21, 2012 – 7:07 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …The first World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates for 2012, from the US Department of Agriculture, give us an opportunity to review that debate.
Let’s go back 10 years ago, before the …

Renewable Diesel Surges: Emerald Biofuels Announces Major Project in Louisiana
May 21, 2012 – 3:21 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Emerald Biofuels announced that it will build an 85 million gallonrenewable-diesel refineries at a Dow Chemical site in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The company will use Honeywell’s UOP/Eni EcoFining process technology for the …

Long Quest for Multi-Fuel Power Source Yields Army Interest
May 8, 2012 – 5:42 pm | No Comment

by John Murawski  (News Observer)  The U.S. military’s quest to outfit American soldiers with an all-in-one power source could lead to a nondescript office in a Morrisville technology park where Triangle startups toil away in …

Increasing Our National Security with New Technology
May 7, 2012 – 6:28 pm | No Comment

by Retired Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, USMC, American Security Project  (The Hill/Congress Blog)  The United States military is the single largest purchaser of petroleum fuel in the world, burning through about 325,000 barrels of fuel …

National Farmers Union Leads Broad Coalition to Urge Senate to Bring Farm Bill to Floor Vote; Includes Advanced Biofuels USA
May 7, 2012 – 5:10 pm | No Comment

(National Farmers Union)  National Farmers Union (NFU) and a coalition of agricultural, conservation, environmental, energy, forestry, hunger, and rural stakeholders sent a letter to Senate leadership today urging them to bring the Agriculture Reform, Food and …

Refiners Worry Lack of E15 Stations Will Cause RFS Non-Compliance
May 7, 2012 – 5:04 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …API has legally challenged every step of the U.S. EPA’s approval of E15, claiming that more scientific research should be completed before it is allowed to be used in …

From Soil Microbe to Super-Efficient Biofuel Factory?
May 7, 2012 – 2:27 pm | No Comment

by Dan Krotz  (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Berkeley Lab-led team explores a way to create biofuels, minus the photosynthesis
Is there a new path to biofuels hiding in a handful of dirt? Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley …

Ceres Sweet Sorghum Hybrids Processed by Amyris
May 4, 2012 – 12:33 pm | No Comment

(Ceres)  • Pilot project validates U.S.-produced sweet sorghum as a potential feedstock for advanced biofuels and bio-products.
• Conversion efficiency of sweet sorghum sugars were similar to sugarcane.
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE) today announced …

OriginOil and Algasol Renewables to Develop an Integrated Algae Growth and Harvesting System
May 4, 2012 – 12:00 pm | No Comment

(Origin Oil)  Algasol, collaborating with NASA and Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, will bundle its offering with OriginOil’s Algae Appliance™
OriginOil, Inc., developer of breakthrough technology to convert algae into renewable crude oil, and Algasol Renewables, a technology …

Smoking Out Potential: Repurposing Tobacco for Biofuels
May 2, 2012 – 7:00 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine)  …According to LBNL, the work focuses on transferring a hydrocarbon-synthesizing gene from cyanobacteria into a tobacco plant. The resulting plants would be able to produce fuel molecules within their leaves. …

Case No. 3: EPA Issues Green Diesel Violation for 60M Bad RINs
May 2, 2012 – 6:35 pm | No Comment

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  The U.S. EPA issued a Notice of Violation to Houston-based Green Diesel LLC April 30 for generating more than 60 million invalid biomass-based diesel (D-Code 4) renewable identification numbers (RINs) …

United States Leads World in Exports of Ethanol
May 1, 2012 – 12:36 pm | No Comment

(Hart Energy/PR NewsWire)  Hart Energy study insists U.S. production mandates are out of sync with market reality
Hart Energy’s newly released study, U.S. & Brazil Ethanol Outlook to 2022, finds the United States has vaulted over Brazil to lead the world in …

Fifth Stop: Sustainability
April 30, 2012 – 5:34 pm | No Comment

by Margaret Broeren  (Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center)  …Much more than a buzzword, “sustainable” means that trade-offs—social, environmental and economic factors—have been measured, modeled and validated against actual “boots on the ground data” measured at agricultural …

E15 Gas Brings Conflict to Pumps
April 30, 2012 – 5:31 pm | No Comment

by David Shaffer (Star Tribune)  A new blend of ethanol and gasoline may soon show up at the gas station pumps — along with mixed messages on whether it’s safe to put it in your …

Energy Department Announces up to $15 Million to Research Biomass-Based Supplements for Traditional Fuels
April 30, 2012 – 5:12 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Department of Energy)  As part of President Obama’s blueprint for an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources, the Energy Department announced today up to $15 million available to demonstrate biomass-based oil supplements …

Energy Department Announces $2.5 Million to Advance Technologies for Clean-Burning, Efficient Biomass Cookstoves
April 30, 2012 – 5:07 pm | No Comment

The Energy Department announced up to $2.5 million available this year for applied research to advance clean biomass cookstove technologies for use in developing countries. The funding will support the development of innovative cookstove designs …

Diesel Cars Make a Comeback in the U.S.
April 30, 2012 – 4:42 pm | No Comment

by Julia Pyper  (Scientific American/ClimateWire)   Sooty, finicky diesel engines are a thing of the past, boosting prospects for the fuel-efficient automobiles in America
…On average, about 85 percent of the particle matter emitted from diesel trucks is …

Commission to Decide if Farms Allowed to Produce Ethanol
April 27, 2012 – 1:23 pm | No Comment

by Diane Wagner   (Rome News Tribune)  The Floyd County Commission is expected to decide at its May 8 meeting if it will allow local farmers to make a limited amount of ethanol onsite, for use as …

Senate Ag Committee OK’s $800M for Farm Bill Energy Programs; DOE OK’d to Move $100M for Advanced Biofuels
April 27, 2012 – 12:05 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the Senate Agriculture Committee has approved $800 million in mandatory biofuels-related funding for the proposed energy title in the upcoming Farm Bill.
…Yesterday, Senators Kent Conrad of North Dakota …

EPA Levies Administrative Fines for Invalid Biodiesel RINs
April 26, 2012 – 7:28 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  The U.S. EPA has announced the amount of administrative settlements levied against 30 obligated parties and renewable fuel exporters due to the purchase of invalid biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) …

25x’25 Steering Committee Member Michael Bowman, White House ‘Champion of Change’ Alum, Meets with Obama
April 26, 2012 – 5:35 pm | No Comment

(25 x ’25)  Wray, CO Advocate Urges President to Lend More Support to Bioenergy Development, Support Higher Ethanol Blends
Mike Bowman, a member of the National 25x’25 Alliance’s Steering Committee, met with President Obama today and …

Trillium FiberFuels, Oregon State University Get Grant for Advanced Biomass Enzymes
April 26, 2012 – 2:42 pm | No Comment

(Trillium FiberFuels Inc./Biorefining Magazine)  A team of scientists from Trillium FiberFuels and Oregon State University has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the U.S. DOE to further develop innovative enzymes that could …

America’s Biofuel Industry Moves From The Beaker To Barrel, ABFA President Testifies To Congress
April 26, 2012 – 1:55 pm | No Comment

(Advanced Biofuels Association)  Testifying today before the U.S. House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade, Michael McAdams, president, Advanced Biofuels Association – ABFA, said he is, “proud to report to this Committee and …

Groups Call On U.S. Senate to Authorize Funding for Military Biofuel
April 26, 2012 – 12:03 pm | No Comment

(Advanced Biofuels Association)  Energy security is a vital part of national security; we can improve energy security with advanced biofuel production in the U.S. The Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Advanced BioFuel Association, the Algal Biomass Organization, …

Paper Evaluates Consequences of Dueling CAFE, RFS Policies
April 26, 2012 – 12:00 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Increasing fuel efficiency standards are expected to shrink U.S. gasoline demand over the coming years while, at the same time, the renewable fuel standard (RFS) will require increasing amounts …

EPA Awards More Than $1 Million to College Teams for Innovative Environmental Solutions
April 25, 2012 – 7:10 pm | No Comment

(Environmental Protection Agency)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded more than $1 million in grants to 15 university and college teams from across the country who participated in the 8th Annual National Sustainable Design …

Forecast Calls for Climate-Smart Business (Part 2): Paul Douglas
April 25, 2012 – 1:28 pm | No Comment

by Paul Douglas (Bloomberg Business Week)  When will American business wake up to the scientific reality of climate change?
When the common-sense moderate middle wakes up. When pragmatic entrepreneurs and investors realize an intransigent, inflexible and, …

Energy Coalition Disappointed in Farm Bill Draft
April 25, 2012 – 12:33 pm | No Comment

by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com)  A coalition of trade groups and organizations representing renewable energy, energy efficiency, farm and environmental interests is disappointed in a 2012 Farm Bill draft out of the Senate Agriculture Committee that …

Soy Checkoff Sponsors Tractor Pulls Again to Showcase Biodiesel
April 24, 2012 – 6:02 pm | No Comment

(The United Soybean Board/Biodiesel Magazine)  …As part of a larger strategy to promote soy biodiesel’s benefits among diesel users, the checkoff will once again co-sponsor the National Tractor Pullers Association season of approximately 80 tractor …

Ethanol Producers Step up to Pay for Required E15 Fuel Survey
April 24, 2012 – 11:28 am | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A group of 99 ethanol producers has taken on the task of funding the nationwide fuel survey required by the U.S. EPA for E15 implementation. The fuel survey represents …

Trading Firm Sues US EPA over Biofuel Credit Scam
April 24, 2012 – 10:55 am | No Comment

by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters)  * Company registered with EPA sold fake credits
* Exxon, Shell, others cited for using invalid credits
* Trading firm says EPA did not do due diligence
A trading company ensnared in the fallout …

UF-Led Research Team Selected for $125 Million Joint U.S.-India Energy Project
April 23, 2012 – 1:10 pm | No Comment

(University of Florida)  A University of Florida-led research team has been selected to participate in a five-year, $125 million energy project involving the United States and India, U.S. Department of Energy officials have announced.
Known as the …

RFA’s Dinneen Tells House Committee to Support Domestic Fuels Protection Act
April 23, 2012 – 12:47 pm | No Comment

(Renewable Fuels Association)  Providing flexibility to fuel retailers will be key to the continued growth in availability of higher level ethanol blends like E15 and other renewable fuels, according to Renewable Fuels Association President and …

Whatever Happened to Algae and Biofuels?
April 23, 2012 – 12:30 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …A couple of voices expressed caution, prominent among them, algae’s Doctor No, John Benemann of Benemann Associates, who wanted at the time, “if algae looks good [for fuel], we’re all …

Notice of Stakeholder Meeting: Industry Roundtable-DON/USDA/DOE/DOT-FAA Advanced Drop-In Biofuels Initiative May 18, 2012 Washington, DC
April 20, 2012 – 4:19 pm | No Comment
Notice of Stakeholder Meeting: Industry Roundtable-DON/USDA/DOE/DOT-FAA Advanced Drop-In Biofuels Initiative   May 18, 2012   Washington, DC

(U.S. Federal Register)  The United States Department of Navy (DoN) in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (DOT FAA), …

Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Fly: Aviation Biofuels Advance, Attract Opponents over Costs
April 19, 2012 – 11:23 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As Honeywell and Agrisoma collaborate to pioneer aviation biofuels from a new carinata-based feedstock, critics wonder exactly why the military is paying so much for the biofuels it is utilizing …

Navy Plan Benefits Biomass: Fuel for Carriers, Jets Adds demand for Biofuel Source Other than Corn
April 18, 2012 – 2:38 pm | No Comment

by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register)  Cellulosic ethanol could use a break, and it appears that the U.S. military may be riding to the rescue.
A Missouri cooperative called (what else?) ShowMe Energy is building an …

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Process Improves Catalytic Rate of Enzymes by 3,000 percent
April 18, 2012 – 1:33 pm | No Comment

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)  Light of specific wavelengths can be used to boost an enzyme’s function by as much as 30 fold, potentially establishing a path to less expensive biofuels, detergents and a host of …

Encourage the EPA to Support Biofuels
April 18, 2012 – 12:43 pm | No Comment

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  A new petition has been launched today (April 11, 1012) to help encourage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support biofuels development. The petition is sponsored by Frontiers of Freedom, who says …

Community Trap Grease Biodiesel Project Seeks Additional Funding
April 17, 2012 – 10:27 am | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  A research team investigating the possibility converting trap grease collected from Cincinnati sewer systems into biodiesel will be presenting the initial results of its project at the U.S. EPA’s 2012 …

Butamax and Gevo: Bio’s Montagues and Capulets Get It On, and On, and On
April 17, 2012 – 10:21 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Here’s a 2-Minute Guide to all the Gevo and Butamax hollerin’, and how to separate the alcohol from the folderol.
In case it has escaped your attention, Butamax is suing Gevo …

Steel in the Ground: The Largest Cellulosic Ethanol Plants in the World Are Ready to Prove Their Mettle
April 16, 2012 – 6:24 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Guido Ghisolfi is a confident man. A chemical engineer by trade, at 55, he’s already spent three decades leading research and development (R&D) activities at Italy-based Mossi & Ghisolfi …

Why Decades Can Pass Between Idea and ‘Eureka!’
April 16, 2012 – 3:57 pm | No Comment

by Matthew L. Wald (The New York Times)  How will the world meet its rising demand for energy? Experience suggests the solutions might already be at hand, although it may be years before they are …

Can Natural Gas Help Stop Global Warming?
April 16, 2012 – 11:11 am | No Comment

by Editorial Board (The Washington Post)  Will natural gas hinder the fight against global warming?
…But extracting and transporting all that natural gas, which is mostly methane, also results in fuel leaks. When methane leaks, it …

EBI Network and Pennycress Energy to Explore Alternative Energy Source
April 13, 2012 – 12:45 pm | No Comment

(City of Galesburg)  Pennycress Energy and the EBI Network are promoting Pennycress as a renewable, alternative energy fuel crop for the Galesburg/West Central Illinois Region. The project, generating interest among growers, will identify possible investors …

Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable May 18, 2012 Washington, DC
April 11, 2012 – 10:59 am | No Comment
Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable    May 18, 2012     Washington, DC

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture – along with the Department of Energy, and the Department of Navy – will co-host an Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable in Washington D.C. on May 18, …

EPA Approves E15 Ethanol Blend Registrations
April 11, 2012 – 10:13 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In Washington, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the first applications for registration of ethanol for use in making gasoline that contains up to 15 percent ethanol – known as …

New NSF Research Grants for Bioenergy, Renewable Fuels and Energy, Bio-Based Chemicals and Renewable Chemical Process Technology
April 10, 2012 – 8:12 pm | No Comment

(Biofuels Digest)  In Virginia, the NSF is calling for proposals for biological and chemical technologies, with a deadline of June 19, 2012.  The proposals must deal with the potential for commercialization of the innovation and how …

USDA Explores Feasibility of Alternative Energy Production at Airports
April 10, 2012 – 8:00 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Agriculture)  A recent study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) highlights the potential for alternative energy production at airports. The study …