donate now
Home » Business and Non-Government Resources

Business and Non-Government Resources

Table of Contents

Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Resources Center :The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program provides a list of resources for additional information on environmental news, science and policy, leadership and communications training, education and outreach, and sustainability issues.

Biofuels Center of North Carolina:  The long-term task of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina is to develop a statewide biofuels industry to reduce the state’s dependence on imported liquid fuels.  The goal of North Carolina’s Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership is that by 2017, 10% of liquid fuels sold in North Carolina will come from biofuels locally grown and produced.  In 2007, the North Carolina General Assembly had the foresight and vision to create the Biofuels Center to implement this plan so that the state’s farmers, biofuels manufacturers, biofuels workers and consumers will benefit from this new multimillion dollar home-grown industry.  Click Here for more information about grants, production facilities, research programs, workforce development, agriculture retention, etc.

Click here for information about using and contributing to the Biofuels Wiki managed by the Biofuels Center of North Carolina.

Click here for the BioWeb wiki managed by the five U.S. regional Sun Grant Centers of Excellence (University of Tennessee, South Dakota State University, Oregon State University, Oklahoma State University, andCornell University)

All BioWeb content is contributed by experts in their fields and vetted through an academic peer review process. Use navigation bar links to navigate this rich source of peer-reviewed information related to biomass and its utilization.

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization. The staff of more than 3,000 specializes in the creation and transfer of technology in engineering and the physical sciences. The Institute occupies more than 1,200 acres in San Antonio, Texas, and provides more than 2 million square feet of laboratories, test facilities, workshops and offices. SwRI’s total revenue for fiscal year 2010 was $548 million.

SwRI has extensive experience in producing and analyzing conventional and alternative fuels, fluids, lubricants, and utilizing microbial and biological techniques. SwRI blends field experience, engineering and chemistry skills, and design and fabrication capabilities to offer an interdisciplinary approach to fuel-related services. This unique interdisciplinary approach to fuel and emission-related services is used by the SwRI staff to produce, analyze, and certify conventional and alternative fuels and additives. Hundreds of qualified engineers, scientists, and technicians bring decades of experience and expertise to each project. Extensive facilities are ready to support new alternative fuels work.

The Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division conducts design, development, and test programs on a wide range of components, engines, transmissions, and vehicles. This is supported by research and modeling of fuel mixing, combustion, tribology, filtration, structural analysis, NVH, and fluid flow analysis. The division organizes multi-client cooperative industry research programs in many areas to help manufacturers achieve lower exhaust emissions and to increase fuel economy. The division also develops specialized instruments, control systems, test apparatus, and data acquisition systems to aid in achieving engine and vehicle performance and emissions goals.

SwRI has more than 50 years of experience as a non-biased testing facility and can assist clients worldwide in fuel and fuel additive registration requirements.  READ MORE


European Biofuels Technology Platform searchable list of biofuels research papers initially includes summaries and links to 60 recent reports and papers.  The EBTP is pleased to add further reports and technical papers on feedstocks, conversion technologies, end use, sustainability, policy and markets, and global biofuels. Report details and links can be supplied via the feedback form.

The FACT Foundation promotes sustainable biofuels and bioenergy for local communities in developing countries, by providing knowledge and expertise on biofuel implementation, by field testing innovative biofuels and by giving specialist advice on demand.  FACT is a professional, business oriented organization providing advice, know-how and investing in local bioenergy solution projects worldwide.

IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Task 39 is a group of international experts working on commercializing sustainable biofuels used for transportation. It is part of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) implementation agreement for bioenergy, IEA Bioenergy.

The goal of Task 39 is to provide participants with comprehensive information to assist with the development and deployment of transportation biofuels. The Task coordinates both technical and the infrastructure issues related to biofuels. To meet this goal, the Task objectives are to:
  1. Provide information and analyses on policy, markets and implementation issues that help encourage the adoption of sustainable conventional biofuels and help commercialize advanced liquid biofuels as a replacement for fossil-based fuels
  2. Catalyze cooperative research and development projects that will help participants develop improved, cost-effective processes for the production of advanced liquid biofuels
  3. Provide information dissemination, outreach to stakeholders, and coordination with other related groups

Task 39 archives informative newsletters, some that focus on biofuels development in specific countries such as Germany, Austria, Sweden, Finland, along with special reports on specific topics.

MBI International : located in Lansing, Michigan, directly across from the Michigan State University campus and in the heart of the Michigan Life Sciences Corridor, applies multidisciplinary expertise, bench-scale laboratories and a robust flexible approach to utilizing pilot-plant facilities to accelerate the development and scale-up of bio-based technologies. We partner with both universities and end-user companies to bridge the gap between early innovations and commercial applications.

The Council of Energy Research and Education Leaders (CEREL) is a multidisciplinary membership organization made up of heads of academic energy research and education centers, institutes, and programs. It provides the means for leaders in energy research, education, and communication to collaboratively use knowledge about energy to improve education, decision-making, and, more generally, the well-being of society.

The Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) is an association of institutional  representatives who come together to improve the quality, stature and effectiveness of academic environmental programs at U.S. universities and colleges. CEDD is facilitated by the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) as a part of its University Affiliate Program.

A premier benefit of University Affiliate membership is representation on NCSE’s Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD). Launched in 2001, CEDD has emerged as the leading organization working to improve the quality, stature, and effectiveness of environmental programs on the nation’s campuses. Government agencies, national and international organizations, and business groups seek out CEDD as a gateway to working with the academic environmental community. Each University Affiliate school designates a representative to serve on CEDD. The group currently includes over 150 members representing academic environmental programs of all sizes and types.

Renewable Energy Bug Find renewable energy companies and information.

Identify Flexible Fuel Vehicles by manufacturer.  Lists by year and model.

Also locate fueling stations with E85 pumps by state, zip code, in US and Canada.

 

Locate retail biodiesel pumps using maps created by the National Biodiesel Board.

The National Biodiesel Board also  lists bulk distributors of biodiesel with information provided by the companies.  The information is not verified by the National Biodiesel Board, nor by Advanced Biofuels USA; nor can either organization vouch for the quality of the product available through these companies or co-ops.

Alabama Clean Fuels put out a video showing the use of biodiesel in fleets–school buses, utilities, municipal vehicles and equipment.  Although the soy checkoff program helped to fund the video, it also touches on used cooking oil as a feedstock and E85 for fleet vehicles.

Find out more about blender pumps from Blend Your Own Ethanol and from the Nebraska Corn Board which offers  limited financial assistance for the installation of ethanol blender pumps in Nebraska.

Used for years to blend and dispense unleaded and premium to give customers several octane choices, blender pumps are now finding a home in the retailing of ethanol fuels, providing stations the unique opportunity to offer mid-level blends between E10 and E85 or to simply blend their own ethanol to create E10 and/or E85. The stations benefit from the blending economics of higher-volume ethanol sales, and their customers enjoy this new array of fuel choices at the pump.

In this new application, blender pumps typically utilize two underground tanks, one containing unleaded gasoline and the other containing E85. In addition to offering more traditional fuels such as unleaded, E10, and E85, the fuel pump can also dispense a variety of mid-level ethanol blends – often E20, E30, and E40 – which are created by mixing the appropriate percentages of fuel from each underground tank.

The National Biodiesel Board also addresses concerns about using biodiesel for consumers and fleet operators, as well as violation of vehicle warranties.

BYO Ethanol–Today’s petroleum marketers – who find themselves at the center of rising costs and consumers calling for change – can benefit from adding ethanol at their stations in two innovative ways: installing blender pumps and retailing mid-level ethanol blends (MLEBs), which are ethanol blends beyond 10%. Today’s petroleum marketers – who find themselves at the center of rising costs and consumers calling for change – can benefit from adding ethanol at their stations in two innovative ways: installing blender pumps and retailing mid-level ethanol blends (MLEBs), which are ethanol blends beyond 10%.

Used for years to blend and dispense unleaded and premium to give customers several octane choices, blender pumps are now finding a home in the retailing of ethanol fuels, providing stations the unique opportunity to offer mid-level blends between E10 and E85 or to simply blend their own ethanol to create E10 and/or E85. The stations benefit from the blending economics of higher-volume ethanol sales, and their customers enjoy this new array of fuel choices at the pump.

In this new application, blender pumps typically utilize two underground tanks, one containing unleaded gasoline and the other containing E85. In addition to offering more traditional fuels such as unleaded, E10, and E85, the fuel pump can also dispense a variety of mid-level ethanol blends – often E20, E30, and E40 – which are created by mixing the appropriate percentages of fuel from each underground tank. In this new application, blender pumps typically utilize two underground tanks, one containing unleaded gasoline and the other containing E85. In addition to offering more traditional fuels such as unleaded, E10, and E85, the fuel pump can also dispense a variety of mid-level ethanol blends – often E20, E30, and E40 – which are created by mixing the appropriate percentages of fuel from each underground tank.   How they work.

Locate biodiesel plants in the US and Canada on Biodiesel Magazine’s interactive map.  Locate all kinds of biorefineries in Canada on the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association’s web site.

International Energy Agency has mapped global second-generation biofuels demo plants and projects.   You can search by type of plant (biochemical, thermochemical or hybrid), scale (pilot, demo or commercial) and status (planned,on hold, under construction, under commissioning, or operational).  Each individual entry includes data on the project name, location, technology, output, facility type, total investment and a technology brief on each project, plus contact information and project photos.

Currently, large efforts are dedicated to the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic raw materials. While only few production facilities are operational yet, many projects are under construction or planned. But which are the companies involved, where are production facilities under construction, and which technologies will be applied? In order to answer these questions, IEA Bioenergy Task 39 has collected data on pilot and demonstration projects and displays the results in a web-based, interactive map.

Biofuels Digest created a US Advanced Bioenergy Map using Google interactive mapping and showing the locations and status of advanced biofuels (and some biochemical) refineries around the country.  You can get the 30,000 foot view or zoom in to see on exactly what street the facility is located.

Map of current advanced bioprocessing technologies in the US

Yellow – fermentation technologies (dots indicate commercial scale)

Red – thermochemical technologies (dots indicate commercial scale)

Green – algae-based technologies

Blue – Renewable sugars production

Chemical symbol – sites producing renewable chemicals only

The DMV.com Automotive Blog Directory is a list of high quality automotive blogs. It contains not just the blog but lists all the most recent blog postings, tags and categories so that you can keep your fingers on the pulse of the automotive industry.

OilPrice.com We have assembled a team of top investment analysts with the aim of creating the number one information resource for Oil and Energy. We are continually adding articles and information to the site to help educate, inform and keep our readers up to date with all happenings in the Energy sector.

The San Diego Biofuels Initiative known as Educating and Developing Workers for the Green Economy (EDGE Initiative) project comprises of local and national organizations in the biotechnology industry with an aim to develop workers for the green industry and stimulate the economy.  Among these organizations are BIOCOM, CleanTECH San Diego, San Diego Regional EDC, San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology (SD-CAB) and the San Diego Workforce Partnership.  The partnership between these organizations is part of an algae initiative to encourage green companies to share research and development ideas.  The EDGE Initiative project is also designed to cultivate educational and economic development in San Diego, California.  The Governor’s Office of Economic Development designated the San Diego region as an innovation hub, placing San Diego as one of the largest biofuel industries in the United States.

Project Funding The EDGE Initiative project’s effort to stimulate educational and economic growth placed the need for funding at a high priority for many local and government organizations.  A four million dollar grant was awarded to San Diego by California Department of Labor, to implement workforce training programs in the biofuels industry.  Local green organizations such as Sempra Energy, General Atomics and Sapphire Energy also contributed three million dollars to support ongoing research and development.  The EDGE Initiative project has created excitement among investors, local government agencies and individuals pursuing careers in biotechnology.  San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology (SD-CAB) will receive a nine million dollar grant from the Department of Energy for algae research and development as part of the EDGE Initiative.  The EDGE Initiative project receives funding from the federal government to support its educational initiatives.

Education and Employment Educators and workforce developers will contribute to the educational and economic programs designed to help workers gain training, employment, and industry skills necessary for the highly regulated and emerging biofuels industry.  Training and educational programs will be provided at the post-secondary, undergraduate, graduate and advanced degree levels.

  • The EDGE Initiative Programs Biofuels Production Certificate
  • Biomass Production Certificate
  • Biofuels Lab Tech Certificate
  • Biofuels Crop Management Certificate
  • Advance training in Biofuels Crop Research
  • Biofuels Immersion Program

For individuals seeking green employment, Training and placement services will be provided to workers within San Diego and the Imperial Valley.  The BioCollaborative Biofuels Web Portal designed to connect job seekers with industry, will become an essential tool in the job search.

Contact Information Information about the specifics of each program will become available in the near future on the EDGE website currently in the process of development by Biocom.  For questions regarding the EDGE Initiative project or to join Biocom’s inquiry list please email edge@biocom.org.      

(Watch Video) San Diego’s Newest Green Industry: Algal Biofuels

The National Algae Association has launched a Commercial Opportunities page on its website in response to a growing number of inquiries from throughout the algae supply channel and the investment community about real commercial opportunities in the algae markets.

The Renewable Energy Database, based in Berlin, Germany, maintains a series of maps and lists, including ones of  Renewable Energy Organizations, Events, Products, and Companies.

Energy & Fuels publishes reports of research in all areas of the chemistry of nonnuclear energy sources, including that involved in the formation of, exploration for, and production of fossil fuels; the properties and structure or molecular composition of both raw fuels and refined products; the chemistry involved in the processing and utilization of fuels; fuel cells and their applications; and the analytical and instrumental techniques used in investigations of the foregoing areas.

Research on substances other than fuels whose goal is to elucidate some aspect of fuel chemistry is welcome, as are papers dealing with photochemical fuel and energy production. Papers dealing with nuclear energy or solely with process economics will not be published. Both fundamental and applied research are welcome.

Energy & Fuels includes articles about biofuels.

Elsevier Biofuel is a comprehensive, online discovery solution that covers on-topic, relevant and reliable information. Designed specifically for bio-energy professionals, users have access to peer-reviewed sources and can make smarter decisions utilizing our structured technology and content database of over 900 journals, 800 e-books, and 10 years of patent backfiles.
With the Elsevier Biofuel Tree Thesaurus (EBTT), users can easily and accurately navigate through 800,000 terms organized and grouped into eight structured categories:

  1. Feedstock
  2. Upstream
  3. Downstream
  4. Substancee
  5. Equipment
  6. Method
  7. Properties
  8. Company

GreEnergyNews.com gathers news about many “green” topics, including biofuels.

BioEnergy Research The journal publishes a wide range of articles, including peer-reviewed scientific research, reviews, perspectives and commentary, industry news, and government policy updates. Its coverage brings together a uniquely broad combination of disciplines with a common focus on feedstock biology and science, related to biomass, biofeedstock, and bioenergy production.  READ MORE

BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) has created a map of existing and planned advanced biofuels refineries.  As BIO describes it:  Today, four years later, a number of biorefineries have reached demonstration and pilot scales, and many developers are raising capital to build new commercial-scale facilities. BIO has tracked the development of more than 65 pilot, demonstration and commercial projects for advanced, cellulosic and algae biofuels across the United States and in Canada. Biotechnology companies have developed the technology to produce a range of chemical molecules – including butanol and other higher alcohols, ketones and aromatics, diesels and oils – that can be used as drop-in fuel, fuel additives, or upgraded to military specifications for fuel.  READ MORE

Subscribers to Biofuels Digest (which is free) have access to hundreds of papers, documents and spreadsheets regarding biofuels and advanced biofuels.

Biotechnology for Biofuels is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal featuring high-quality studies describing technological and operational advances in the production of biofuels from biomass.

Biotechnology for Biofuels emphasizes understanding and advancing the application of biotechnology and synergistic operations to improve plants and biological conversion systems for the production of fuels from lignocellulosic biomass and any related economic, environmental and policy issues.

Biotechnology for Biofuels focuses on the following areas:

  • Development of plants for biofuels production
  • Plant deconstruction
  • Pretreatment and fractionation
  • Enzyme production and enzymatic conversion
  • Fermentation and bioconversion
  • Integrated systems
  • Process design and economics
  • Life cycle studies   READ MORE

Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining: Movement towards a bioeconomy presents great opportunities for forward-thinking institutions to become catalysts for beneficial change and reap the related benefits. However, given the breadth of the issues involved (agronomy, public policy, microbiology and chemical engineering, to name just a few) and the depth of expertise required along with that breadth, it may be difficult for many institutions to successfully navigate the bioeconomy transition.

That is the purpose of this journal: to help a wide variety of institutions understand and better manage their own bioeconomy transition. Many good technical journals already exist in related fields. This is not another technical journal. Instead, Biofpr will provide reviews by recognized experts across the breadth of related issues, perspective pieces and many other services to help move the bioeconomy forward.   READ MORE

RenewableJetFuel.org Carbon War Room’s Aviation Operation aims to accelerate investment in, and adoption of, sustainable renewable fuels. The success of the operation will be achieved when the percentage of renewable fuel used by fleets is growing at a rate that will allow it to reach 50% of the global jet fuel supply.

Milestones in our progress include:

  • Renewablejetfuel.org and online database established and used to enhance transparency and improve investment and purchasing decisions

Agribiobase  Aimed to promote biobased products, Agrobiobase is a database that covers both biobased chemistry and biomaterials, from raw materials to finished products.   Strategic news and special features also accompany this database and guide you through the world of bioproducts.  IAR’s ecosystem favors the development of innovative projects around biomass and the Biorefinery concept. The strategy is to bring together skills and technologies of extraction, processing and formulation, performing all steps of development from laboratory to industrial scale, including the sustainable development perspective.

Business people can:
- facilitate their sourcing of biobased products,
- and obtain key datas such as their percentage of biobased material, their technical information sheets, their environmental impact etc.  READ MORE