The Department of Defense has heard the industry’s message about how to effectively deploy renewable energy, but significant challenges remain. As the military transitions from testing and goal setting to deploying active project pipelines, close …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  DoD goes forward, after internal wrangle, with advanced biofuels program via $16M phase 1 investment.
With industry cost share, project totals $33M: aims for sub-$4, drop-in military biofuels.
In Washington, the DoD …

by Sandra I. Erwin  (National Defense Magazine)  …Although the Pentagon consumes just 1.5 percent of the nation’s fuel, biofuel investors and green-energy advocates have looked upon the military as a catalyst for a massive expansion of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Produces Drop-In Jet Fuel from 100% Renewable Plant Sugars
In Wisconsin, Virent announced the delivery of 100 gallons of its bio-based jet fuel to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …It used to be that the outskirts of Honolulu had the dual scent of diesel and pineapple processing — but now, all you really smell is the diesel. Sugarcane and …

by Douglas L. Faulkner with contributions from Jacques Beaudry-Losique (Biofuels Digest)  …We believe it is time for bioenergy industry leaders to take the initiative and chalk up a new comprehensive game plan, reflecting the new reality …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Pilot-scale biorefineries for drop-in military diesel, jet fuel the focus of the DOE’s latest grant round.
In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $17.7 million in grants to …

by U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Foundation/Biomass Magazine)  After a briefing by senior White House staff on April 17, following their arrival in the U.S., an Israeli delegation of top academic and industrial biofuels research scientists and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This week in Washington, it has been one for the record books, emailwise and biofuelswise. Reams and reams of emails attest to the seriousness of the stakes — as NGOs, …

by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire)  An amendment to a $984 billion Senate government funding bill that would have stripped funds from the Defense Department’s drop-in biofuels program failed by a 40-59 vote on Wednesday.
Sen. …

(US Department of Energy/Department of Defense)  General Comments
Although the author has done an extensive literature reading in the biofuels area, the paper does not have any analysis of critical issues of energy systems including petroleum …

by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire)  Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) filed two amendments to a $984 billion government funding bill on Thursday that would gut the military’s alternative fuels program.
The amendments already are drawing criticism …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Neste Oil confirmed that they are using 65% virgin oils, primarily palm oil, and 35% waste residues, but that they are seeking to increase that percent of waste supplied, Neste’s …

Join us in San Diego for a two day discussion about the opportunities and barriers for renewable energy presented by two important sectors in the western region: U.S. military bases and the transportation industry. A …

(Biofuels International)  Australian research company Agritechnology has found a location as it further develops a biofuels demonstration plant.
A site for the plant has been chosen in Orange, New South Wales and it will aim to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The military would like, affordable, domestically-produced, drop-in, renewable fuels.  Drop-in fuel producers would like long-term, stable fuel sale and feedstock purchase contracts.   Why not put those needs together?
According to …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest)    Are supporters of the oil industry grasping at straws to keep the U.S. military addicted to oil?
…Our reliance on foreign oil has already impacted military readiness, as …

(25 x ’25)  Renewable energy stakeholders were reminded again in recent weeks that misguided criticism and outright misinformation launched against the nation’s pursuit of a clean energy future must be turned back.
…An example of the …

by Julia Whitty (The Atlantic/Mother Jones)  …To get to the Nimitz, 100 miles off Honolulu, our turboprop is flying a 50-50 blend of biofuel and standard JP-5 shipboard aviation fuel. The biofuel is made from algae …

by Col. Bill Holmberg (ret.)  (American Council On Renewable Energy)   “Up with octane, down with aromatics, and embrace the needs of people and nature,” says ACORE’s legendary biomass guru. But less freak-out, more reach-out is …

(Green Car Congress)  Researchers at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake have developed a process for the synthesis of high energy density renewable fuels through the selective dimerization of α-pinene, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Could a switch to biofuels make super-dense JP-10 military aviation fuels affordable? Could F18A Super Hornets add payload or extend range?
Currently reserved for tactical missiles because of cost, biofuels could …

by Rod Adams (Atomic Insights)  I’ve been spending the past hour or so reading an excellent paper written by a US Naval aviator titled Twenty-First Century Snake Oil: Why the United States Should Reject Biofuels as …

By Joshua Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) Thinking about the back and forth on EPA’s cellulosic fuel mandates in the last month, the press on the harmful effects of diverting food crops for fuel processing in …

(FlexFuelUS)  The Iowa Army National Guard is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the deployment of ethanol. More than half o f its 577
non-tactical vehicles a t Camp Dodge nowrunonE85thankstoaconcerted commitment to meet or …

by Pamela Serino (Defense Logistics Agency Energy/Biofuels Digest)  …A mandate in all countries to go to ULSD marine fuel would be my first step to cleaner fuels and lower emissions as many nations still burn …

by Ben Geman (The Hill E2Wire)  Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), President Obama’s nominee for Defense secretary, is backing a controversial ban on military purchase of alternative fuels that have higher greenhouse gas emissions than …

by Sandra I. Erwin (National Defense Magazine)  The biofuels industry is seeing promising signs from Washington. President Obama in his inauguration speech tied green energy to economic growth. Congress agreed to allow the Pentagon to …

The event is the preeminent meeting place for international leaders and energy experts at the forefront of the clean energy movement. Securing energy independence and developing a clean energy industry that promotes the vitality of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Unofficial reports indicate that biofuels provisions have survived a House-Senate conference over the Defense bill.
According to sources, House and Senate conferees have finished work on their conference report on the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Policy, finance, technology, feedstocks, markets, prices, opposition.  Here’s what’s on your mind, as the critical 2013 deployment year for biofuels looms.
So here are 15 burning questions as suggested by various …

by Will Rogers  (Biofuels Digest/Consumer Energy Report)  The recent debate over the role of the military in investing in renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency and conservation programs and alternative biofuels has included many voices that …

byK. McDonald (BigPictureAgriculture.com)  …Liquid fuels are embedded into our everyday lives and provide us with what we need. There are the tractors and combines used in agriculture, and the trucks which haul the just-in-time deliveries …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  From time to time, we report on correspondence exchanged with our veterans and serving men and women in the field, on the subject of the strategic and tactical opportunities in biofuels …

(Pew Charitable Trusts)  The Department of Defense is the world’s largest consumer of liquid fuels (more than 375,000 barrels of oil per day). Last year alone, the military’s energy bill was $17 billion and over the last …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the US Senate voted 54-41 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina to repeal section 2823 of the annual Defense appropriations bill.
Sec. …

(America’s Navy)  Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy) Tom Hicks toured a steam plant at St. Julien’s Creek Annex in Portsmouth now running on B20, a 20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent number two fuel …

by Paul Clarke (The Hill E2Wire/Truman National Security Project)  …To free us from the whims of distant countries, America must invest in renewable technologies and take advantage of our energy resources here at home.
Our dependence …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is the US government right in aiming to commercialize aviation biofuels production – or should it be aimed at ensuring affordable feedstock?
Pain at the pump. $5 gasoline in California. $8 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, the US Senate voted 62-37 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Mark Udall of Colorado to repeal section 313 of the annual Defense appropriations bill.
Section 313 …

The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it has posted presentations from the 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards:  Current Issues, Future Trends on its web site.  The purpose of the meeting was …

by Geof Koss (Roll Call)  More than one-third of the Senate is calling for removal of provisions in the defense authorization bill that would limit military efforts to develop alternative fuels.
In a Nov. 16 letter …

(Environmental Entrepreneurs)   Plans in Congress to kill military biofuels programs could also derail $10 billion+ in economic activity; creation of more than 14,000 jobs, study finds
The military’s plans to expand its use of biofuels in planes, …

(Honeywell/MarketWatch/PR NewsWire)  Five aircraft fly together for the first time using renewable jet fuel to National Business Aviation Association convention
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel(TM) produced using Honeywell’s UOP Renewable …

by Dan Parsons (National Defense Magazine)  … Military leaders, particularly within the Navy, want to find a drop-in alternative fuel that will reduce their dependence on foreign oil, but do not want to pay a premium …

by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)  Gevo Inc. (GEVO), Syntroleum Corp. and Solazyme Inc. (SZYM) may be among a “small set” of biofuel producers vying for supply contracts from the U.S. Defense Department, the world’s largest consumer of …

(Biodico/PR NewsWire/Herald Online)  Today Biodico announced signing a new agreement with the U.S. Navy for the development and evaluation of advanced biofuels and bioenergy.  The goal is to jointly develop renewable fuel and energy technologies …

by Michael Fabey (Aerospace Daily and Defense Report/Aviation Week)  Despite continued opposition from lawmakers like U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the U.S. Navy will continue its efforts to leverage biofuels technology for its ships and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …We say that biofuels are “capital-intensive,” mainly to be polite. It’s like saying that Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun had “land interests”.
…Put it this way. How much …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Those momentum killers. Company wreckers. The investor flight-inducing crevasses along the route to the top – that take away a level playing field, remove your access to markets, delay a …

by Joe Cogliano  (Dayton Business Journal)  A division of Honeywell International Inc. is being tapped by the U.S. Air Force to expand the domestic supply of biofuels.
On Thursday, the Defense Department announced Des Plaines, Ill.-based UOP LLC was …

(Biodiesel Magazine/USDA)  US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Energy for Navy Tom Hicks toured the USS Monterey (CG 61) at the Naval Station Norfolk (Va.) on Saturday, Sept. 8, and …

by Todd Woody (Forbes Magazine)  …Funded with $85 million from Bill Gates and other investors – plus $104 million in government cash and loan guarantees – the world’s only commercial outdoor algal biorefinery went online this summer …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Closely-watched green gasoline producer collapses as Waste Management declines next financing round.  What does it mean for companies like Fulcrum Bioenergy, Enerkem, Agilyx, Agnion, Renmatix, Genomatica, and InEnTec? The Digest …

by Todd Atkinson  ( US Department of Agriculture  Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service/Biomass Magazine)  Since the 20th century, scientists have worked to cure cancer. They have yet to succeed.
Many researchers develop hypotheses that end in disappointment, with …

by Amanda Stein (Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System)  …NPS Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Associate Professor Dr. Christopher Brophy, and MAE Professor and Chairman Dr. Knox Millsaps, are working to help the Navy understand …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)   …But in many respects, its been a summer about aviation biofuels – starting with the demonstration of the US Navy’s Green Strike Group and continuing to announcements of projects …

(Business Wire/Aemetis)  Biofuels ISOCONVERSION Process licensed by Aemetis to produce 100% drop-in renewable jet and diesel fuels from plant oils
Aemetis, Inc., an advanced fuels and renewable chemical company, announced today that the company signed a …

by Adam Stone  (Defense News)  The U.S. Army is testing new power packs that could run on virtually any fuel, including gasoline, ethanol and diesel.
Developed by INI Power of Morrisville, N.C., the alternative energy power …

by Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James & Associates)  In addition to declining U.S. oil demand and surging liquids production from onshore shale plays, there is a third component to our thesis that the nation is moving towards oil …

by Susan Cornwell (Reuters/Chicago Tribune News)  A Senate subcommittee approved legislation on Tuesday that continues funding for the Pentagon’s use of biofuels, a senator said, in a move pushing back against critics trying to limit outlays …

by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization)  As we all basked in the glory of the annual Independence Day festivities, we were reminded once again about the importance of “Buying American.” Nowhere was this more evident …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Arch-critic of the cost of military biofuels — Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe — comes under scrutiny over earmarks for natural gas-based military fuels that cost 29 times more than conventional …

by Olga Belogolova   (National Journal)  Republicans in both the House and Senate this year have proposed cutting funds for alternative-energy programs in the defense authorization bill. But these efforts won’t gain much traction, National Journal’s Energy …

by David Alexander   (Reuters)  * Ex-Senator Warner leads veterans in pushing alternative fuels
* Senator Inhofe seeks accounting for Green Fleet demonstration
* Fossil fuel dependence means more conflict, veterans warn
Military veterans and former lawmakers urged …

by Dave Larsen (Dayton Daily News)  The facility will be used to develop advanced jet fuels for Air Force.
The University of Dayton Research Institute will start construction July 9 on a new $850,000 outdoor algae …

by Ysabel Yates (Renewable Energy World)  …For the next two years, Rolf Reitz and his team will be developing a model to work out the right mix of biofuel for the Navy’s fleet. Reitz’s work is critical …

(25 x ’25)  As the “green strike group” makes its way through the waters of the Pacific Rim this week, the performance of the advanced biofuels helping power many of those ships is a cause …

Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest)  …The Navy doesn’t go to war, or even a war simulation, with unproven technology. That sends a message loud and clear to those who hope the Age of Biofuels has not …

(Energy FactCheck)  FACT:  1.  The U.S. Navy’s biofuel initiative began in 2006 when President George W. Bush’s Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, initiated a task force to explore options for reducing the military’s dependence on fossil …

by Marcus Stern   (Reuters)  * Republicans call green fleet program too expensive  * Pentagon says biofuels costs will drop
Two companies involved on the ground level of an expensive Pentagon effort to embrace biofuels have …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …“It didn’t take long to figure out,” he (Dan Nolan, a retired US Army Colonel and CEO of  Sabot 6) recalled, “how many casualties we were taking in Iraq and …

(US Department of Energy)  The intent of this FOA is to identify, evaluate, and select innovative pilot- or demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries that can produce hydrocarbon fuels that meet military specifications for JP-5 (jet fuel primarily …

by Brendan Nicholson (The Australian)  THE Royal Australian Navy has taken a major step towards “greening” its warships and aircraft with a new agreement that will give it access to technology being developed in the …

(MultiService.com)  Advanced biofuels are gaining popularity throughout the United States thanks to their financial and environmental benefits. Domestic biofuels can especially benefit the Department of Defense, which uses a substantial amount of fuel each year. …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In this context we’d like to examine assertions made in a feature story on the Green Strike Group published this week in Wired’s online Danger Room, entitled “How the Navy’s …

by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan A. Colon (USS Nimitz Public Affairs/America’s Navy)  The Secretary of the Navy, the honorable Ray Mabus, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert, visited the aircraft carrier …

by Norman Seip (Christian Science Monitor)  The US armed services is working hard to wean itself off of fossil fuels and foreign oil. Yet some in Congress, for short-term savings, want to ban them from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As the Pacific-based forces of Can-Do battle the Washington-based forces of Shouldn’t-Try, we look at the 6 Big Myths of Military Biofuels
In Hawaii, the US Navy demonstrated its Green Strike Group as …

(The Maritime Executive)  Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187), which is currently providing logistical support for U.S. Pacific Fleet’s biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise off Hawaii, will deliver 900,000 gallons …

(University of Wisconsin-Madison)  With the help of a $2 million grant from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, mechanical engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will develop a tool to characterize the performance of a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, a new study by the RAND Corporation says that the US military’s petroleum demand of 340,000 barrels per day, compared to global demand of 87 million barrels per …

by Jeremy Herb (The Hill/Defcon Hill)  A liberal-leaning national security group has a six-figure ad campaign attacking four Republicans, including potential vice presidential pick Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), …

By Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)  (Politico)  It’s disappointing that Congress may try to second-guess the Pentagon’s attempts to tackle one big problem: our dependence on foreign oil.
Without changes to …

by Zack Coleman  (The Hill/E2Wire)  Congress “needs to get beyond short-sightism” that is stunting investment in and handcuffing Defense Department use of biofuels, a senior White House energy official said Wednesday at a conference in …

by Mark Harden (BizJournals.com/Denver Business Journal)  The U.S. Air Force has flown the first successful test flight using a type of biofuel provided by Colorado’s Gevo Inc.
The single-seat, twin-engine Air Force A-10 Thunder Bolt jet …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …The Obama Administration has laid out an integrated strategy for commercializing advanced biofuels, with a focus in this phase on military advanced biofuels at cost-competitive prices with conventional fuels.
The vehicle …

by Galrahn (Information Dissemination)  With the Great Green Fleet putting to sea for the upcoming RIMPAC 2012 exercise, and more specifically now that the USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T AO 187) has 900,000 of super expensive …

by Andrew Holland (Consumer Energy Report)  The RAND corporation recently released a report “Promoting International Energy Security” for the U.S. Air Force that, for the most part, contained the conventional wisdom about oil prices and …

by Barrie Barber (Stars and Stripes/Dayton Daily News)  A top British envoy says the U.S. and the U.K. could collaborate more on the development and use of biofuels in the military to boost both nations’ …

by Margaret Ryan (AOLEnergy)  Biofuels could be a “game changer” for both military and commercial aviation, says Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Terry Yonkers, because they’re proving to have advantages over petroleum-based jet fuels that go beyond …

(Amyris)  Amyris to develop improved DNA assembly and integration across biological platforms
Amyris, Inc. announced today (June 12, 2012)  it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The Maritime Administration (MARAD) of the U.S. Department of Transportation has released its analysis of a test conducted with algae-based biofuel on one of its large commercial-size vessels. This research used marine …

by Meg Cichon (Renewable Energy World)  As a proposed ban on military investment and use of biofuels inches closer to fruition in Washington, several groups are speaking out against the bill.

Pentagon Budget Bill, H.R. 4310, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In-field bioprocessing? Dramatically higher plant oil production? R&D breakthroughs offer new paths to victory for Millers vs Drillers.
If you haven’t been getting most of your information on the Renewable Fuel …

by Sara Sorcher (National Journal)  Nearly two-thirds of National Journal’s National Security Insiders agree with the military’s push for renewable energy, siding with the Obama administration over some Republicans in Congress who have charged that the …

Managing the Military’s Energy Needs with Tomorrow’s Power Sources Concept Technologies and Platforms
The Defense Department is projected to spend close to $4 billion in its utility bill and $25 billion in fuel costs this year; …

by Jen Alic (OilPrice.com)  The US Defense Department consumes more energy than any other department or sector in the country, spending around $20 billion annually by some estimates; but ambitious plans to make it the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In Washington, heartbreak came early in the season when the Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to nix the purchase of aviation biofuels, should they cost more than conventional fossil …

(MASBI)  Regional Initiative with National Reach Working to Achieve Energy Security
United Airlines, Boeing, Honeywell’s UOP, the Chicago Department of Aviation and the Clean Energy Trust today announced the formation of the Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels …