Articles in Resources
(US Department of Energy) On July 31–August 1, 2013, the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Advanced Biofuels USA will co-host the Office’s sixth annual conference, Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy, at …
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 Matthew Landau (Aquatic Biosystems) In 2010, Qatar University initiated an algal biofuel project funded by Qatar Airways, and Qatar Science and Technology Park with a 3-year budget of USD 12 million. Completion of the first …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Oil refiners have been waging a well-funded war on California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which requires oil companies to reduce the carbon pollution from gasoline and diesel by 10 percent …
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Colorado State University’s Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) has launched an Advanced Energy Legislation (AEL) Tracker, a database tracking energy-related state legislation pending in all 50 states. Types of energy include solar, …
(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission unanimously adopted the 2013-2014 Investment Plan Update to support the development and use of green vehicles and alternative fuels. The update sets funding priorities for the approximately $100 million in …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 group recently published a report that outlines progress on more than 100 advanced biofuel projects under development worldwide. The report, titled “Status …
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association’s collection of ethanol infographics is now easier to access than ever before. You can find all the infographics of the RFA and the Fuels America coalition housed in …
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) Legislation to reauthorize the Farm Bill energy title was introduced in the Senate Monday. Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced the Rural Energy Investment Act to “help farmers, ranchers, and …
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) The latest national survey of 100% biodiesel (B100) “blend stock” samples by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that 95% of the samples from 2011-12 met …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington DC, at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, Biofuels Digest announced that it has released its newly expanded SuperData database, profiling 880 biofuels refineries on six continents.
SuperData contains all …
(US Department of Agriculture/Biodiesel Magazine) The USDA has proposed a series of changes to make it easier for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to apply for renewable energy and energy efficiency funding. USDA remains …
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) As part of its ongoing review of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the House Energy & Commerce Committee recently asked stakeholders to comment on the impact of the RFS on the …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is there bio-based relief for the harried taxpayer in sight? Could conservationists, growers and biofuels producers find common ground in adapting the Conservation Reserve Program for bioenergy? Could the US …
(Bio Base NWE) The project Bio Base NWE is funded under the Interreg IVB NWE framework and has the objective to support the development of the bio-based economy in North West Europe (see www.biobasenwe.org for …
(Virtual-Strategy.com)
Nexant today announced the release of an assessment of next-generation and cellulosic sugar technologies. This new Nexant report—Cellulosic Sugars: Unlocking Biomass’ Potential—examines the different technology choices available.
“Cellulosic and other next-generation sugar processes are becoming technically robust, …
(US Department of Energy) On Earth Day and every day, BETO is working to improve the sustainability of the transportation industry in the United States through the development and deployment of commercially viable, high-performance, domestic …
by H. Damon Matthews, Susan Solomon (Science Magazine) Understanding how decreases in CO2 emissions would affect global temperatures has been hampered in recent years by confusion regarding issues of committed warming and irreversibility. The notion that there will …
(US Department of Energy) The Bioenergy Technologies Office 2013 Project Peer Review will take place at the Hilton Alexandria Hotel from Monday, May 20, 2013, to Thursday, May 23, 2013. The peer review process will …
by Tom Portz (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Eric Sumner’s lifelong fascination with science spans from his youth to the cutting edge of ethanol plant bacterial control and the growing importance of coproducts for long-term industry viability.
Helping …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, PANGEA (Partners for Euro-African Green Energy) launched an update to its report “Who’s Fooling Whom? The Real Drivers Behind the 2010/11 Food Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa”.
The report demonstrates …
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 …
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new map of the algae industry published online by the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) shows algae production facilities and research projects stretching from coast to coast, illustrating a nationwide opportunity for a new and growing industry …
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Today, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released their Tracking Clean Energy Progress report in New Delhi that details the increased role that biofuels will need to play in reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) as …
(INOCAS) The production of plant oils based on oil-bearing trees such as Jatropha could provide an alternative pathway to a more sustainable plant oil production in the future. Planting oil-bearing trees can mitigate the effects of …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published updated data on alternative fuels and vehicles through 2011. The analysis addresses several alternative transportation fuels, including E85, hydrogen, electricity, natural gas …
Advanced Biofuels USA, co-hosting with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, invites you to be a supporter of Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy. This year’s conference will be held July …
(Yahoo!Finance/Navigant Research) After more than a decade of healthy growth for conventional biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel, the next wave of advanced biofuels is nearing commercialization. The pool of commercially available biomass-derived fuels is expanding …
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Biofuels Center of North Carolina recently awarded $684,058 for six projects to accelerate the renewable fuels industry in western North Carolina. Awards are made through the 2012-2013 targeted biofuels …
(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy today announced it would fund its three Bioenergy Research Centers for an additional five-year period, subject to continued congressional appropriations. The three Centers—including the BioEnergy Research Center …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The International Energy Agency, through its Task 39 group, has published its 207-page report on the “Status of Advanced Biofuels Demonstration Facilities in 2012″.
The report, in its pages, contains detailed …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Maryland, the “Monthly Energy Review” by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through December 31, 2012 is showing that renewable energy sources and natural gas expanded rapidly during the …
by Howard Schneider (The Washington Post) Government subsidies of gasoline, electricity and other energy sources amount to about $1.9 trillion a year and should be ended or offset with taxes used to battle climate change and pay …
by Brad Plumer (The Washington Post) What’s the simplest way to tackle global warming? Make sure that fossil fuels are priced properly and not subsidized.
That’s the core idea behind a large new report (pdf) from the International Monetary …
(HoosierAgToday) For the second year in a row the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has created an ‘infographic’ promoting the benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Entitled “An American Success Story,” the new infographic …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost.
… A barrier to long term deployment? The …
by David Glass (DGlassAssociates.com) In two blog entries in 2010, I described the possible regulatory regimes that might affect the use of genetically modified microorganisms or plants in the production of biofuels or bio-based chemicals, …
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Institute dates: June 24-29, 2013 Application dealdine: March 31, 2013,
In this one-week summer program, teams of educators core areas of GLBRC research, get hands-on experience with our education materials, and …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyzed wind and bioenergy resources in the U.S. and Brazil using a lifetime production method, allowing for more accurate comparisons …
(25 x ’25) The ethanol industry has some good news to share. And it comes in an arena where the domestically produced biofuel has often been challenged – carbon sequestration and the life-cycle assessment of …
(Science Codex) Rapidly growing trees like poplars and willows are candidate “biofuel crops” from which it is expected that cellulosic ethanol and higher energy content fuels can be efficiently extracted. Domesticating these as crops requires …
(National Academies of Science) A new National Research Council report finds that by the year 2050, the U.S. may be able to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for light-duty vehicles — cars …
by David Glass (DGlassAssociates.com) … The use of genetically modified microorganisms (GMOs) in manufacturing will likely face a fairly straightforward regulatory process in most countries, because such “contained” uses will generally pose far fewer hypothetical …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, the Cleantech Open, which has helped startups raise $800 million for over 700 alumni since its inception in 2006, announced that it is expanding to South Florida to …
(Home Grown Cereals Authority) An HGCA-led review of regional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions figures has reopened market opportunities in the biofuels supply chain potentially worth several million pounds each year.
Revised GHG figures, supplied by HGCA, …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At World Biofuels Markets, BP CEO Phil New delivered a keynote speech which attempted to turn the industry’s attention towards “the hard yards” of operational excellence, saying that “it is arguable …
by Marianne Lavelle and Thomas K. Grose (National Geographic) The amount of fresh water consumed for world energy production is on track to double within the next 25 years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects.
And even …
(PR Web) RSB now recognizes FSC which certifies responsibly managed forests.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) is pleased to announce its decision to recognize the standard of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) which certifies responsibly …
(Stoel Rives/Biodiesel Magazine) Stoel Rives LLP, a national energy and biofuels law firm, has published a white paper that provides a comprehensive overview of proposed regulatory changes to the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program, specifically …
by Thomas W. Kerlin (ISA Interchange) …Plants convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar via photosynthesis using energy from the sun. The sugar undergoes further transformations within the plant. Carbohydrates, compounds composed entirely of carbon, …
by Daniel Ciolkosz (Pennsylvania State University) …The sizes of the molecules in biodiesel and petroleum diesel are about the same, but they differ in chemical structure. Biodiesel molecules consist almost entirely of chemicals called fatty …
(Convenience Store News) Liquid fuels will continue to be the top fueling option for drivers for the next two-plus decades. However, the composition of these fuels will undergo significant change.
According to the “Future of Fuels …
by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg) People attending a Washington event this week may witness something almost unheard of in political circles: Republicans praising a clean-energy program supported by President Barack Obama.
The Advanced Research Projects Agency — Energy, …
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A 32-page report by Lux Research picks winners and losers in 2012 among alternative fuel developers. The state of the market report, which is provided only to clients, also …
(Internal Revenue Service) The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-240) retroactively extends certain fuel tax credits that expired on Dec. 31, 2011. The retroactively extended fuel tax credits are the biodiesel mixture …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently published experimental statistics on the area of crops grown for bioenergy from 2008 through 2011. According to DEFRA, approximately …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest published its newly-improved and updated SuperData site — now with 150 free downloads, including must-read industry and energy sector forecasts, hard-to-find presentations and both new and …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the new USDA long-term forecasts, rising global meat consumption stands out as a driver of rising food prices, exports.
…But you might ask yourself — in a world where you …
by Jim Lane (Biobased DIgest) Bringing your biobased technology forward through the Valley of Death may require a bridge over troubled waters. Here are partners worth knowing.
… Bioenergy commercialization is long, expensive and risky. Derisking …
(Biofuels Center of North Carolina) The Biofuels Center of North Carolina announced Monday, 4 February 2013, it will award up to $1.1 million for projects that address identified areas of critical need related to the …
by Mona-Maria Brinker & Roger Coombs (Waste Management World) Rising prices, continued conflict in producing regions and the spectre of peak oil have highlighted uncertainties about the future of fossil transport fuels in Europe. Mona-Maria Brinker …
(Great Lakes Biodiesel/BusinessWire) World Class Niagara-based Educational Institutions Provide Companies Like Great Lakes Biodiesel with Access to Top Notch R&D Facilities and Highly Trained Job Ready Graduates
Great Lakes Biodiesel (GLB) in Welland has partnered with …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Environmental Entrepreneurs launched a new Web site at www.fuelinggrowth.org, as a clearinghouse for information on how clean fuel companies are driving economic growth, includes reports that examine the growth and …
(University of Minnesota) Innovative print and online magazine and event series showcases solutions to Earth’s biggest environmental challenges
In response to a growing demand for trusted, solution-focused communication about environmental topics, the University of Minnesota today …
(PR NewsWire/Yahoo! News) Top 5 States For Advanced Biofuel Companies: Calif., Ill., Colo., Texas and Iowa; New Web Site at www.FuelingGrowth.org Documents Impact of Growing Industry
California is home to nearly 30 advanced biofuel companies, but dozens of …
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Food prices rose just 1.8% in 2012, the second-lowest annual rate in the last 20 years, according to recently released consumer price index (CPI) data. The new data demonstrates …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …In Maryland, The Wildlife Society released a Technical Review, “Effects of Bioenergy Production on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat,” to provide answers to questions on bioenergy development and wildlife so that …
by Jeff Hove (RINAlliance/EcoEngineers) RINAlliance was established in 2007 to assist petroleum marketers and renewable fuel blenders with EPA blending compliance requirements. Today, RINAlliance serves 130 blenders with EPA reporting and RIN marketing. They currently manage …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Strong biofuels flight results, advances in algae, new commitments in venture capital and revived interest from the Canadian Navy. Biofuels are off to a fast start in 2013 in …
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences) Perennial biofuel crops such as miscanthus, whose high yields have led them to be considered an eventual alternative to corn in producing ethanol, are …
(Yahoo!/BenchMark Energy Corporation) BenchMark Energy Corporation through its subsidiary Energy Partners LLC is pleased to announce it has launched a new division named Energy Partners Logistics and Transportation Management.
Mark Bateman, CEO of BenchMark Energy states, “With …
by Mary Rosenthal (Biomass Magazine) Just a few weeks ago, the National Research Council released its report on the sustainability of biofuels derived from algae, affirming the potential of our industry to meet global fuel …
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The National Corn Growers Association has launched a new web-based resource,www.EthanolFacts.com.
…The home page of EthanolFacts offers links to short articles on hot topics in ethanol circles: flex-fuel vehicles, …
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) EESI Policy Associate Ned Stowe recently gave a presentation on biomass, bioenergy, and sustainability to the 11th Annual Great Lakes Environmental Legislators Forum of the National Caucus …
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The National Corn Growers Association has created a simple website that offers just the facts about ethanol.
The website EthanolFacts.com offers information about E15, food versus fuel, energy security, jobs in rural America and …
As a service to Algae Biomass Organization members, ABO invites abstracts of peer-reviewed journal articles (authors, title, citation, abstract, author affiliations) to the ABO website. All articles published in 2012 and after are eligible for …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …Overall, the reference case predicts that total primary energy consumption will grow by 7 percent, from 98 quadrillion Btu in 2011 to 104 quadrillion Btu in 2035. This is …
(International Energy Agency Task 40) This report is an overview, not a detailed analysis, of the use of biofuels in commercial aviation.
Aviation is a global industry with global problems and challenges that also demands global …
by Dallas Kachan (Renewable Energy World/Kachan & Co.) …In its new report on agricultural cleantech, Kachan uses the following criteria to differentiate cleantech developments from generic agricultural innovations:
improved efficiency of resource use
reduced ecological impact
smaller carbon footprint
sustained …
(US Department of Energy) The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decisions makers find ways to reduce petroleum consumption through the use of alternative and …
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 John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) How do you keep an expected world population of 9 billion people by the year 2050 fed AND meet the world’s energy needs? Our friends at Farm Foundation are taking on …
(International Energy Agency) The 2012 edition of the World Energy Outlook was released on 12 November 2012. Drawing on the latest data and policy developments the report presents analytical insights into trends in energy markets …
(ACORE) The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the 2012 edition of its report, Renewable Energy in the 50 States, as an interactive, online resource. Compiling updated financial data, resource potentials, market and policy …
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) Here’s a riddle: If Congress doesn’t want to raise income tax rates but wants to raise revenue, what can it do?
One answer: Pass a carbon tax.
A relatively moderate-sized carbon tax could …
by Nathan Vander Griend (Biodiesel Magazine/ERI Solutions Inc.) Safety training, work permits, standard operating procedures and what seems to be an almost endless amount of documentation can be a burden to an operating facility. It …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) For B100 and biodiesel blends, two main fuel additive categories dominate the sector: stabilizers and cold flow improvers. Biodiesel can be produced from many fats, oils and greases, each possessing …
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) For biodiesel refineries, a good maintenance plan starts with good training. Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International AG, which has built more than 30 plants worldwide, starts its plant personnel training routine during …
(Stoel Rives) Businesses benefit by having informed decision makers. That is why Stoel Rives developed the award-winning Renewable + Law blog in 2007, together with a series of “Law of” guidebooks covering the gamut of renewable energy …
by Gary Truitt (Hoosier Ag Today) Agricultural economists at the University of Illinois have been calculating the costs for farmers to produce biomass energy crops as renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. In fact – they …
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) BSR, a nonprofit membership organization focused on consulting, research and cross-sector collaboration, has released a new report that assesses the sustainability impacts of commercial transportation fuels, as well as …
by Jim Baker (EcoEngineeers/Biodiesel Magazine) Last October, EcoEngineers unveiled its RIN Quality Assurance Program to address RIN fraud that was destabilizing biodiesel RIN markets. At that time, the idea of a RIN QAP was unheard …
by Tim Leeds (Havre Daily News) A standing-room-only crowd filled a newly re-opened building at Montana State University-Northern to hear dignitaries and university representatives talk about the latest addition to its cutting-edge alternative fuels laboratory.
…The …
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Today, we’ll look at the bigger balance sheets to see who is investing what, and when, with whom, and why.
…We’ve also focused here, for the sake of brevity, on those …
(ASTM International) This Ethanol Fuel Blends specification covers the requirements for automotive fuel blends of ethanol and gasoline for use in ground vehicles equipped with flexible-fuel spark-ignition engines. Fuel produced to this specification contains 51 …
by Jim Lane (Biobased Digest) One of the most interesting biobased resources we have found – covering the world, but Europe-based – is the AgroBioBase, created and managed by the IAR consortium, a French organization …
by Brian Winter (Reuters/Chicago Tribune) After years at each other’s throats, Brazil and the United States are working together to promote the use of ethanol in a collaboration that could revolutionize global markets and the makeup of …
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 …
(PR NewsWire) E2 Report: Biofuel industry well positioned to meet demand under California standard
Despite a challenging year, the advanced biofuels industry continues to grow, according to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). Biofuel production capacity has …
(ACORE) First-ever comprehensive platform to tout progress across renewable energy industry, answer critics
The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) today launched EnergyFactCheck.org and @EnergyFactCheck, two new resources designed to address the imbalance in America’s debate over …
