donate now
Truly Sustainable Renewable Future
March 17, 2009 – 10:42 am | One 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 …

Read the full story »
Business News/Analysis

Federal Legislation

Political news and views from Capitol Hill.

More Coming Events

Conferences and Events List in Addition to Coming Events Carousel (above)

Original Writing, Opinions Advanced Biofuels USA

Sustainability

Home » Archive by Category

Articles in California

Keep Your Eye on the Ball
February 9, 2012 – 10:56 am | No Comment

by Jim Stewart (Biofuels Digest/BioEnergy Producers Association)  …In America’s quest for alternative and renewable energy, the “ball” is national security and energy independence.  All other issues pale by comparison.
Let’s not lose sight of a critical …

Biodiesel Bike Built by Orange County Choppers
February 9, 2012 – 9:39 am | No Comment

by Chuck Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The big news today at the National Biodiesel Conference was the unveiling of the biodiesel bike built by Paul Teutul, Sr., Orange County Choppers. The bike was built in partnership with CIMA Green.
…CIMA Green actually …

California to Appeal Ruling against Fuel Standard
February 6, 2012 – 2:35 pm | No Comment

(Equipment World)  States considering a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will be watching the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to see if it will overturn a lower court’s decision that California’s LCFS is unconstitutional.
The appellate court …

John Lindt: Biofuel Maker to Double Employees
February 6, 2012 – 1:40 pm | No Comment

by John Lindt (Visalia Times-Delta)  Edeniq is expanding in the Visalia Industrial Park expecting to turn on its new pilot cellulosic ethanol plant in March, with plans to double employment this year, said Scott Janssen, …

Algae Producer Aquaviridis and OriginOil Announce Joint Commercial Agreement
February 3, 2012 – 2:18 pm | No Comment

(OriginOil)  Development of dry-land aquaculture could transform desert farm economies of the American Southwest and Mexico
Mexicali Valley, Mexico and Los Angeles, CA February 3, 2012 – Algae producer Aquaviridis and OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to …

California Bill Seeks to Eliminate Future Corn Ethanol Funding
February 1, 2012 – 1:29 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill   (Ethanol Producer Magazine)   The California State Assembly is expected to vote soon on a watered-down version of a bill initially proposed last year, targeting corn ethanol production for elimination from …

Business Accelerator Open to New Green Tech, Environmental Clients
February 1, 2012 – 10:22 am | No Comment

(Dominican University of California)  Dominican’s new Venture Greenhouse is accepting a third round of applications from early stage businesses that address environmental and social issues.
Inspired by Dominican University of California’s MBA in Sustainable Enterprise (the …

OriginOil Announces It Can Produce Algae Fuel In Existing Oil Refineries
January 30, 2012 – 3:13 pm | No Comment

by Christopher Demorro (Gas2) …But new research shows that our existing oil refineries could process crude algae oil, meaning most of the infrastructure is already in place.
OriginOil, a leader in algae fuel research, has announced …

The World’s Fastest Vehicle Fueled by Vegetable Oil Showcased at DC Auto Show
January 26, 2012 – 5:32 pm | No Comment

by Robert E. Kozak and Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Dave Schenker, founder and president of  the Greenspeed club came to the DC Auto Show to showcase the 1998 Chevy S-10 pickup, modified by Boise …

Cal Poly Partners with California Energy Commission to Launch Algae-Based Wastewater Treatment Plant
January 26, 2012 – 10:23 am | No Comment

(California Polytechnic State University)  Cal Poly faculty and students will demonstrate a new technology that uses algae to treat wastewater and produces biofuel as a byproduct. The system could be used at wastewater treatment facilities …

Maersk Tests SoladieselRD(R) in 6,500 Nautical Mile Commercial Voyage
January 25, 2012 – 1:04 pm | No Comment

(MarketWIre/Solazyme)  Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, announced today that Maersk Line, one of the biggest shipping companies in the world, has completed the testing of Solazyme’s 100% algal derived renewable diesel as …

Judge Denies Petition to Implement California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
January 24, 2012 – 10:08 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill denied the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) motion to stay the decision he issued on December 29, 2011 that had halted the enforcement of …

Low Carbon Fuel Standard: A Petroleum Marketer’s Perspective
January 23, 2012 – 5:17 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  California’s low carbon fuel standard is a hot topic at this week’s California Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Conference in San Francisco. During a panel titled “California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard …

Von Wedel Discusses Biodiesel Fuel Quality Issues at California Show
January 23, 2012 – 5:06 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine)  Although the biodiesel industry is maturing, fuel quality is still a central issue. Randall von Wedel, principal biochemist with BioSolar Group and CytoCulture International Inc., closed the California Biodiesel & …

Verdezyne Secures Patent on Engineered Microorganism
January 20, 2012 – 2:35 pm | No Comment

(Verdezyne) Verdezyne, Inc., a privately-held industrial biotechnology company focused on producing renewable chemicals and fuels from non-petroleum sources, has been granted a United States Patent on engineered microorganisms.
Verdezyne was awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,093,037, titled “Engineered Microorganisms With …

Biofuel from beneath the Waves
January 20, 2012 – 2:12 pm | No Comment

by Zoe Cormier (Nature)  Engineered bacterium can produce ethanol directly from seaweed.
Bioengineers have devised a way to produce ethanol from seaweed, laying the groundwork for a biofuel that doesn’t sacrifice food crops.
Yasuo Yoshikuni and his …

CALL FOR PAPERS: 2012 US Biochar Conference July 29-August 1 Rohnert Park, CA DEADLINE February 10, 2012
January 18, 2012 – 2:17 pm | No Comment
CALL FOR PAPERS:  2012 US Biochar Conference   July 29-August 1   Rohnert Park, CA   DEADLINE  February 10, 2012

To be held July 29th to August 1st in the center of Sonoma County’s world-class wine country, we are focusing on the practical use and production of biochar at the community level and what will …

2012 Biochar Conference July 29-August 1 Rohnert Park, CA
January 18, 2012 – 2:14 pm | No Comment
2012 Biochar Conference  July 29-August 1    Rohnert Park, CA

To be held July 29th to August 1st in the center of Sonoma County’s world-class wine country, we are focusing on the practical use and production of biochar at the community level and what will …

Conference Keynote: Landfills Will Become a Thing of the Past
January 18, 2012 – 11:36 am | No Comment

by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Thermal)  …(Sierra Energy CEO Mike) Hart was the keynote speaker at the third annual Pacific West Biomass Conference & Trade Show in San Francisco, Calif., Jan 16-18. He delivered a …

Can Bacteria Produce “Drop-In” Biofuels?
January 18, 2012 – 10:33 am | No Comment

by Umair Irfan  (ClimateWire/Scientific American)Scientists are seeking help from microbes to produce road-ready biofuels
…As they move, breathe, eat and reproduce, bacteria produce byproducts like ethanol and hydrogen while feeding on simple sugars, starches and sunlight. …

OriginOil and Department of Energy to Develop Direct Conversion of Algae into Renewable Crude Oil for Existing Oil Refineries
January 16, 2012 – 10:43 am | No Comment

(OriginOil)  Company partners with Idaho National Laboratory to enable algae growers to enter the global crude oil market
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the …

The ILUC Debate, Four Years Later
January 12, 2012 – 3:26 pm | No Comment

by Bob Dineen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine)   …The scientific community has better data, improved modeling tools, and a better appreciation of the uncertainty and complexity involved in ILUC analysis. But, above all, they …

Biofuel Company Stumbles onto Cosmetics Discovery
January 12, 2012 – 3:12 pm | No Comment

by David Louie (ABC Local)   Solazyme, a company that focuses on biofuels, recently made an interesting cosmetics discovery.
Algae is turning out to be a very versatile product. Solazyme can turn it into jet fuel. And …

Algae Biofuels Inject Money Into The Southwest’s Economy
January 12, 2012 – 2:32 pm | No Comment

by Erik Anderson  (KPBS)  A survey by the San Diego Association of Governments found the algae biofuels industry is responsible for 466 local jobs. That’s a significant jump over the 210 jobs that existed two …

Cool Planet BioFuels Announces Road Testing of Negative Carbon Gasoline Begins in California
January 12, 2012 – 2:19 pm | No Comment

(Cool Planet BioFuels/MarketWatch)  Cool Planet BioFuels announced today it has received approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to begin fleet-testing its negative carbon gasoline. Cool Planet BioFuel’s technology converts low-grade biomass — such …

Clearing a Potential Road Block to Bisabolane: Key Enzyme Structure Identified
January 12, 2012 – 12:31 pm | No Comment

by Lynn Yarris (PhysOrg.com)   JBEI researchers determined the structure of the AgBIS enzyme and found it to consist of three helical domains, the first three-domain structure ever found in a synthase of sesquiterpenes. This …

Algae Production Workshop, Networking and Tour January 30, 2012 Los Angeles, CA
January 10, 2012 – 6:49 pm | No Comment
Algae Production Workshop, Networking and Tour     January 30, 2012     Los Angeles, CA

University of Southern California (University Park Campus – downtown LA)
*Includes tour of OriginOil’s facility after workshop – Los Angeles, California

Algae biofuel has the potential to meet the world’s growing energy demand.  Due to its high …

Springboard Biodiesel Teams With Pinnacle Capital to Provide Schools With Attractive Clean-Tech Financing Options
January 6, 2012 – 6:00 pm | No Comment

(MarketWire/Springboard Biodiesel)  Springboard Biodiesel and Pinnacle Capital announced this morning (January 5, 2012) a new and innovative financing program designed to help US educational institutions — public and private — establish small-scale biodiesel production programs …

Santa Cruz Nonprofit Hopes to Make Fuel from Ocean-Based Plastic
January 6, 2012 – 3:40 pm | No Comment

by Amy E. West  (Mercury News/Santa Cruz Sentinel)  …It sounds like an environmentalist’s dream. But it’s the ambitious mission of the Santa Cruz nonprofit Clean Oceans Project, which six months ago teamed up with a …

CAD for RNA: Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Develop CAD-Type Tools for Engineering RNA Control Systems
December 30, 2011 – 2:15 pm | No Comment

by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)  The computer assisted design (CAD) tools that made it possible to fabricate integrated circuits with millions of transistors may soon be coming to the biological sciences. Researchers at …

New Leaf Biofuel to Supply Biodiesel to San Diego School Buses
December 30, 2011 – 11:33 am | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesle Magazine)  San Diego-based biodiesel producer New Leaf Biofuel LLC has forged an agreement with the San Diego Unified School District to supply biodiesel to its fleet of more than 500 buses …

Major Step Forward Towards Drought Tolerance in Crops
December 30, 2011 – 10:31 am | No Comment

(Science Daily)  When a plant encounters drought, it does its best to cope with this stress by activating a set of protein molecules called receptors. These receptors, once activated, turn on processes that help the …

San Francisco to Turn Xmas Trees into Biofuel
December 30, 2011 – 9:59 am | No Comment

(Bay City News Service)  Christmas trees in San Francisco will be used as biofuel as part of the city’s 25th annual “Treecycling” program, which officials celebrated with a “chipping of the trees” event outside City …

US Federal Court Issues Injunction against California Low Carbon Fuel Standard
December 30, 2011 – 9:32 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane  and Todd Guerrero  (Biofuels Digest/Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.)  Us federal judge rules that California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard interferes with the “maintenance of a national economic union unfettered by state-imposed limitations on …

Good Digestion: It’s Been a Bumpy Road to Full-Scale Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion Technologies at Ethanol Plants
December 29, 2011 – 5:51 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Despite the promise of methane from anaerobic digestion technology, low natural gas rates and other factors have kept ethanol producers from jumping in with both feet.
…On top of the …

Increased Estimates of Air-Pollution Emissions from Brazilian Sugar-Cane Ethanol
December 29, 2011 – 1:34 pm | No Comment

C-C. Tsao, J. E. Campbell, M. Mena-Carrasco, S. N. Spak, G. R. Carmichael & Y. Chen  (Nature Climate Change)  Accelerating biofuel production has been promoted as an opportunity to enhance energy security, offset greenhouse-gas emissions and support rural economies. However, large …

Wayne Keith Sets a New World Wood Gas Speed Record
December 28, 2011 – 3:41 pm | No Comment

by David Bransby(Auburn University/Biofuels Digest)  We hear a lot about “drop-in” fuels these days. While this term typically means an infrastructure-compatible liquid transportation fuel, Wayne Keith has come up with his own version of a …

Biofuels Face a Reality Check
December 28, 2011 – 1:34 pm | No Comment

by Lauren Sommer  (KQED)  …The idea behind biofuels is pretty simple. Plants take sunlight and use that energy to make sugars. The biofuels industry wants to transform those sugars into fuel. That requires some molecular …

Fuel From Waste?
December 28, 2011 – 1:24 pm | No Comment

by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine)  In the biofuels business, the idea of converting nonfood plants to fuels is like a mirage: enticing but seemingly just out of reach. To do it, the industry must …

OriginOil Enters Joint Venture to Develop Biorefineries for U.S. Department of Defense Biofuels Programs
December 27, 2011 – 3:04 pm | No Comment

(OriginOil)  JV receives preliminary funding commitment of $4.5 million to carry out bankable feasibility studies
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil …

BlueFire Renewables Launches Subsidiary and Formalizes Funding Agreements in 2011; Sets Sights on Further, Significant Milestones for 2012
December 23, 2011 – 2:47 pm | No Comment

(Blue Fire Renewables)  …To meet increasing demand for cellulosic sugars (“The New Oil”) BlueFire formed SucreSource, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary that will manufacture cellulosic sugars from biomass for Biofuel, Bioplastic and Specialty Chemical markets. …

CARB Releases 2011 LCFS Review Report
December 23, 2011 – 12:46 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The California Air Resources Board has completed the first required formal review of the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a regulatory program that requires stakeholders to reduce the carbon …

The Selling of Renewable Fuels
December 22, 2011 – 7:19 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In all the discussions about renewable fuels R&D, engineering, policy, finance, and construction, the customer – that is, you and me – generally are an afterthought.
Could be because most renewable …

Doing the Ethanol Shuffle
December 14, 2011 – 10:33 am | No Comment

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association)  There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles. No, it’s not a new dance, this shuffle is all about …

Hitting a New Stride: The Biorefining Sector Is Poised for Commercial Scale-Up as Funding Strategies Mature and Production Capacity Grows
December 10, 2011 – 1:56 pm | No Comment

by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine)  The biorefining sector reached an important new milestone this year with at least five companies undergoing successful initial public offerings (IPOs). As we move into the new year, members of …

National Science Foundation, Japan Science and Technology Agency Issue New Joint Awards To Reduce Pesticide Pollution And Promote Biofuel
December 8, 2011 – 5:02 pm | No Comment

(Red Orbit)  The carbon footprint of humans will be reduced by four awards for plant and microbial research issued under a new joint U.S./Japanese program
Four joint United States and Japanese research teams have been awarded …

Turn Up the Heat: Researchers Explore Heat-Resistant Enzymes
December 8, 2011 – 3:24 pm | No Comment

by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …“Thermophilic fungi can be found worldwide, most commonly in habitats where self-heating of plant material results in high temperatures, such as compost heaps, municipal waste, plant straw, and animal …

Codexis Introduces CodeXyme™ Cellulase Enzyme Product Line for Biobased Chemicals
December 8, 2011 – 12:28 pm | No Comment

(Codexis)  Codexis, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDXS) today introduced the CodeXyme™ Cellulase enzyme product line to convert biomass to sugar, enabling cost effective production of sustainable products.
“The launch of the CodeXyme™ Cellulase product line introduces Codexis as a player in the …

For Obama’s Green-Car Revolution, Fits and Starts
December 8, 2011 – 7:52 am | No Comment

by Carol D. Leonnig and Joe Stephens (The WashingtonPost) The Obama administration has poured roughly $5 billion in taxpayer funds into the electric-car industry, offering incentives to manufacturers, their suppliers and even car buyers who might want …

Crimson Renewable Energy Reopens 25 MMgy Bakersfield Plant
December 7, 2011 – 5:55 pm | No Comment

by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine)  After sitting idle for two years, Crimson Renewable Energy LP has successfully completed recommissioning and start-up of its 25 MMgy biodiesel production facility in Bakersfield, Calif., with initial product lots …