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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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Articles tagged with: Department of Energy

Symbiosis Conference: Expanding Commercialization of Mutualistic Microbes to Increase Bioenergy Crop Production June 20–21, 2013 Ithaca, New York
June 15, 2013 – 4:25 pm | No Comment
Symbiosis Conference: Expanding Commercialization of Mutualistic Microbes to Increase Bioenergy Crop Production   June 20–21, 2013    Ithaca, New York

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office is hosting a conference on expanding commercialization of products incorporating mutualistic microbes in order to increase biomass production. The conference will be held on June 20–21, 2013, …

Advanced Biofuels USA Urges Introspection on Climate Change at Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum in Washington, D.C
June 13, 2013 – 12:58 pm | No Comment

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Robert E. Kozak, Advanced Biofuels USA founder and board member began his remarks at the Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum in Washington, D.C June 12, with …

DOE Publishes Agenda for Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy
May 31, 2013 – 11:57 am | No Comment

(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 …

Can Electrofuels and Electrosugars Save the Day?
May 28, 2013 – 6:37 pm | No Comment

Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Is the ultimate industrial fuel system going to be based on electricity, waste CO2 and brackish water – to return society to the days of energy abundance?  It will take a …

Advanced Biofuels Come of Age
May 27, 2013 – 5:56 pm | No Comment

by Dan Seif (Mother Earth News/Rocky Mountain Institute)  Advanced, non-food biofuels are gaining momentum in 2013 as several new plants have gathered the capital and momentum for large-scale production.

Despite sparse media coverage, significant volumes of …

Dr. Ernest Moniz Sworn in as 13th Secretary of Energy
May 22, 2013 – 3:33 pm | No Comment

(Department of Energy)  Dr. Ernest Moniz was sworn in as the nation’s 13th Secretary of Energy by Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman in a ceremony this morning (May 21, 2013) for the Department’s employees, kicking off …

Obama’s Environment, Energy Team Nears Completion with Votes
May 20, 2013 – 12:20 pm | No Comment

by Valerie Volcovici (Reuters)  President Barack Obama’s energy and environment team took two steps forward on Thursday after the U.S. Senate confirmed Ernest Moniz as energy secretary and a committee cleared Gina McCarthy to get a …

New Advance in Biofuel Production
May 14, 2013 – 3:39 pm | No Comment

by Lynn Yarris(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)  Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Develop Enzyme-free Ionic Liquid Pre-treatment
Advanced biofuels – liquid fuels synthesized from the sugars in cellulosic biomass – offer a clean, green and renewable alternative to …

Edeniq DOE-Supported Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Surpasses 1,000 Continuous Operational Hours
May 14, 2013 – 2:08 pm | No Comment

(Edeniq/Yahoo! News)  Visalia Plant Milestone Signifies Greater Commercial Viability for Cellulosic Ethanol and Sugars
Edeniq, a biomaterials and sustainable fuels company, today announced the company’s first demonstration plant, located at its Visalia, CA headquarters, has completed …

Algae: Times and Needs Have Changed.
May 14, 2013 – 1:50 pm | No Comment

by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association/PR Log) The DoE has spent $2.5 billion on algae research but to date nothing has been commercialized. Why? Because their mission is to develop technologies. It’s not their problem or …

Gasoline Prices Tied to Ethanol, Energy Information Administration States
May 8, 2013 – 12:08 pm | No Comment

(UPI) …On a percentage basis, the EIA said the price spread was closer to 17 percent in 2001, and dipped to as low as 6 percent in early 2009. This decline is because of the …

NREL Survey Shows Dramatic Improvement in B100 Biodiesel Quality
May 7, 2013 – 5:49 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Makeover Puts CHARMM Back in Biofuels Business
May 7, 2013 – 12:30 pm | No Comment

by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)  Biofuels scientists are asking more complex questions about how molecules spin, bond, and break when enzymes attack plants — all in the name of quickening the process of …

NREL Researchers Use Enzyme Combination to Break Down Biomass
May 6, 2013 – 2:18 pm | No Comment

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Enzymes could break down cell walls faster – leading to less expensive biofuels for transportation – if two enzyme systems are brought together in an industrial setting, new research …

Los Alamos National Lab Improves Biomass-to-Fuel Process
May 3, 2013 – 12:35 am | No Comment

(Los Alamos National Laboratory/Biodiesel Magazine)  …Los Alamos scientists and collaborators from The University of Guelph in Canada published an article in the scientific journal Nature Chemistry this week that could offer a big step on the path …

Recipe for Low-Cost, Biomass-Derived Catalyst for Hydrogen Production
April 29, 2013 – 1:39 pm | No Comment

(Brookhaven National Laboratory)  Promising results are a step toward a range of renewable energy strategies fueled by Nature
In a paper to be published in an upcoming issue of Energy & Environmental Science (now available online), …

Bioenergy Technologies Office 2013 Project Peer Review May 20-23 Alexandria, VA
April 25, 2013 – 4:27 pm | No Comment
Bioenergy Technologies Office 2013 Project Peer Review    May 20-23   Alexandria, VA

(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 …

EERE Transportation Energy Futures Study: Deep Reductions in Petroleum Use and Carbon Emissions
April 23, 2013 – 7:01 pm | No Comment

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  The Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI) and the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) held a briefing on the conclusions of the newly released …

National Algae Testbed Kicks off at Arizona State University
April 23, 2013 – 5:32 pm | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine)  lgae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP3) members from across the U.S. gathered at the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus April 15-18 for their national kickoff meetings to discuss strategies for advancing research and …

U.S., Israel Could Collaborate on Advanced Biofuel Development
April 22, 2013 – 4:05 pm | No Comment

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 …

Monitoring, Diagnostics Tackle Algae Biofuel Pond Crash Problem
April 18, 2013 – 10:55 am | No Comment

(Sandia National Laboratories/Biodiesel Magazine)  Sandia National Laboratories is developing a suite of complementary technologies to help the emerging algae industry detect and quickly recover from algal pond crashes, an obstacle to large-scale algae cultivation for …

The EIA Publishes Data on E85-Capable Vehicles
April 11, 2013 – 12:13 pm | No Comment

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 …

President’s FY2014 Budget Boosts DOE Vehicle Technology Spending 75% to $575M; $282M for Advanced Biofuels
April 11, 2013 – 11:34 am | No Comment

(EV-olution.org)  President Obama’s FY 2014 budget proposal submitted to Congress provides $28.4 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of Energy, an 8% increase above the 2012 enacted level. Among the direct transportation-related highlights of the department’s …

Biofuels Digest’s 3-Minute Guide to the EIA Energy Outlook
April 10, 2013 – 5:21 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Eager to understand the bio investor impact from the EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook – but not crazy about reading 46 pages of dense text and graphics?
Our 3-Minute Guide can help.
…We …

Advanced Biofuels USA Co-Hosts DOE’s Biomass 2013
April 10, 2013 – 1:47 pm | No Comment

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 …

A Crash of Algae, Bioterrorism and the Future of Biofuels
April 9, 2013 – 10:26 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …You’ve probably seen it, in some way, for years — a local pond seems suddenly crowded with algae — or there’s news of a “red tide” blooming at sea — …

ACC Clean Energy Challenge Announces Elite Eight Plus Two, Will Vie to Reach Final Four
April 5, 2013 – 6:07 pm | No Comment

(Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute/PR NewsWire)  The $100K ACC Clean Energy Challenge, a business plan competition supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) encouraging students from universities in the southeastern United …

DOE Announces Five-Year Renewal of Funding for Bioenergy Research Centers
April 5, 2013 – 5:16 pm | No Comment

(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 …

US Department of Energy Gives Michigan State, University of Wisconsin $125 Million to Continue Biofuels Research
April 5, 2013 – 4:58 pm | No Comment

by Brandon Howell (MLive) Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin will continue their partnered research of advanced biofuels thanks to $125 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, …

DOE Study: RFS Boosts US Economy
April 2, 2013 – 2:22 pm | No Comment

by Bob Dinneen (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association)  As Congress and the country debate the renewable fuel standard (RFS), Big Oil and Big Food are flooding the zone with bought-and-paid-for “studies” seeking to discredit American …

Making Do with More: Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Engineer Plant Cell Walls to Boost Sugar Yields for Biofuels
April 2, 2013 – 10:19 am | No Comment

by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)  When blessed with a resource in overwhelming abundance it’s generally a good idea to make valuable use of that resource. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant organic material …

Biofuels, Renewables Strongly up Since 2008, Says New EIA Report
March 29, 2013 – 4:42 pm | No Comment

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 …

The Cutting Edge of Corn Stover and Switchgrass Supply: A Comprehensive Feedstock Solution
March 28, 2013 – 6:22 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Supplying high-quality feedstock for use in a broad range of sustainable conversion processes to produce advanced biofuels is a complex, multi-step process. Each step in the feedstock supply and logistics chain—from …

Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry Is Reshaping American Energy July 31-August 1 Washington, DC
March 28, 2013 – 2:38 pm | No Comment
Biomass 2013:  How the Advanced Bioindustry Is Reshaping American Energy    July 31-August 1  Washington, DC

On July 31–August 1, 2013, US Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Advanced Biofuels USA will co-host the sixth annual biomass conference, Biomass 2013: How the Advanced Bioindustry is Reshaping American Energy, at the …

Computational Studies in Lignocellulose Deconstruction April 15, 2013 12:40 PM – 2:15 PM EDT Webinar
March 28, 2013 – 2:23 pm | No Comment
Computational Studies in Lignocellulose Deconstruction   April 15, 2013 12:40 PM – 2:15 PM EDT  Webinar

On April 15, 2013, from 1–2:15 p.m. ET, Dr. “Gnana” S. Gnanakaran—of Los Alamos National Laboratory—will present a webinar on his team’s molecular research on lignocellulosic biomass. Lignocellulose is a promising carbon-neutral source of energy …

Energy Department Launches New Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative
March 27, 2013 – 11:26 am | No Comment

(U. S. Department of Energy)  As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to revitalizing America’s manufacturing sector, today the Energy Department launched the Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative (CEMI), a new Department initiative focused on growing American manufacturing …

University of Georgia Discovery May Allow Scientists to Make Fuel from CO2 in the Atmosphere
March 27, 2013 – 11:16 am | No Comment

by James Hataway  (University of Georgia)  Excess carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere created by the widespread burning of fossil fuels is the major driving force of global climate change, and researchers the world over …

ARPA-E Launches $20M Project REMOTE – Bioconversion of Natural Gas to Liquid Fuels
March 27, 2013 – 11:03 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  ARPA-E aims to drive liquid fuel production from abundant, affordable methane — and sees biobased technology as the path forward.
In Washington, ARPA-E released its long-awaited funding opportunity announcement for Project …

DOE Gives Southern Research Institute $925,000 for Bio-Oil Work
March 26, 2013 – 6:41 pm | No Comment

by Chris Hanson (Biomass Magazine)  Southern Research Institute won a $925,000 energy award from the U.S. DOE to develop a mild liquefaction process to convert biomass to petroleum refinery-ready bio-oils.
“We hope the project will advance …

The Bioenergy Farm Game
March 25, 2013 – 9:22 pm | No Comment

(Great Lakes BioEnergy Research Center)  In this board game, players take on the role of bioenergy crop farmers trying to earn a living while being good environmental stewards. In the process, players explore the economic …

Bioenergy Institute for Educators Now Accepting Applications for 2013! DEADLINE March 31, 2013
March 25, 2013 – 9:07 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Peach Genome Offers Insights into Breeding Strategies for Biofuels Crops
March 25, 2013 – 11:26 am | No Comment

(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 …

Are Algae Biofuels a Realistic Alternative to Petroleum?
March 20, 2013 – 4:25 pm | No Comment

by Ian Branam (Scientific American)  Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found that nearly 14 percent of land in the continental United States, or roughly the combined area of Texas and New Mexico, …

Southern Research Institute Wins $925,000 Dept. of Energy Award to Liquefy Biomass for Production of Transportation Fuels
March 20, 2013 – 2:54 pm | No Comment

(Southern Research Institute)  Research could encourage blending of bio-oils into refinery streams for producing renewable diesel and gasoline
Durham, North Carolina — Southern Research Institute today announced it has entered into a cooperative agreement with the …

Petroleum Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Automobiles Could Drop 80 Percent by 2050; Efficiency, Alternative Fuels, and Strong Government Policies Will Be Needed
March 19, 2013 – 7:38 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Biochemical Production of Ethanol and Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters from Switchgrass: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental and Economic Performance
March 18, 2013 – 8:05 pm | No Comment

by Scott M. Paapa, Todd H. West, Dawn K. Manley, Eric J. Steen, Harry R. Beller, Jay D. Keasling, Dean C. Dibble, Shiyan Chang, Blake A. Simmons (Biomass and Bioenergy)  As advances in biotechnology have …

Ethanol Producers Respond to Market Conditions
March 18, 2013 – 4:29 pm | No Comment

(U.S. Energy Information Administration/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Beginning in summer 2012, the prices of ethanol and corn reached levels where production costs at relatively simple ethanol plants exceeded revenue. These simple plants, which are not able …

Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office Comments on Air Force Strategic Studies Quarterly Article: Energy Insecurity, The False Promise of Liquid Biofuels
March 18, 2013 – 12:53 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Domtar Inaugurates Commercial Lignin Production
March 14, 2013 – 5:40 pm | No Comment

(Domtar)  Plymouth Mill to produce bio-material with wide range of industrial applications as petro-chemical alternative – the first of its kind in over quarter century
Domtar Corporation (NYSE: UFS) (TSX: UFS) today announced that it has successfully …

Phycal Captures CO2 Funding for Biofuel
March 12, 2013 – 1:36 pm | No Comment

by Debra Fiakas (Alt Energy Stocks)  As part of its program to promote beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide, the Department of Energy awarded a total of $27.2 million ($3.0 million in the first phase and $24.2 …

Global Economic Effects of US Biofuel Policy and the Potential Contribution from Advanced Biofuels
March 6, 2013 – 5:32 pm | No Comment

Gbadebo Oladosu, Keith Kline, Paul Leiby, Rocio Uria-Martinez, Maggie Davis, Mark Downing & Laurence Eaton (Future-Science.com/Biofuels)  Background: This study evaluates the global economic effects of the current US RFS2, and the potential contribution from advanced biofuels. Results …

Unleashing the Power of the Bio-Economy
March 6, 2013 – 1:13 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Recommendations from the Milken Institute — and a group of industry heavyweights — to accelerate the bioeconomy revolution.
In California this week, the Milken Institute released a good read on the …

Biomass Analysis Tool Is Faster, More Precise
March 5, 2013 – 4:36 pm | No Comment

by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World)  A screening tool from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) eases and greatly quickens one of the thorniest tasks in the biofuels …

Is Fracking a ‘Bridge’ to a Clean-Energy Future? Ernest Moniz Thinks So.
March 4, 2013 – 11:21 pm | No Comment

by Brad Plumer (The Washington Post)  When it comes to energy, Ernest Moniz seems to be an “all of the above” guy. President Obama’s new nominee for the Energy Department has heaped praise on everything from solar …

Ernest Moniz, MIT Physicist, Nominated as Energy Secretary
March 4, 2013 – 11:07 pm | No Comment

by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post)  …At MIT, he has directed the school’s Energy Initiative, where he oversaw reports on almost every aspect of energy. And he has been a member of the President’s Council of Advisors …

Obama Filling out Cabinet, Will Nominate New Budget Chief, EPA Director and Energy Secretary
March 4, 2013 – 11:59 am | No Comment

(Associated Press/The Washington Post)  President Barack Obama is announcing his picks for three Cabinet-level jobs — nominees to run the Energy Department, Environmental Protection Agency and budget office.
Obama says energy secretary nominee Ernest Moniz is …

Can the US Still Meet Its 2022 Biofuels Targets?
February 28, 2013 – 10:26 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As cellulosic biofuels technologies start to deploy — critics and friends ask, 36 billion gallons by 2022, can it still be done?   Yep, there’s a pathway.
In Washington, the US Energy …

Solyndra Critics Back U.S. Lab Seeking Biofuel From Germs
February 26, 2013 – 5:56 pm | No Comment

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, …

Technology-to-Market Summer Scholars
February 25, 2013 – 6:30 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Energy)  The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is devoted exclusively to transformational energy technology research and development. ARPA-E’s mission is to:

Enhance U.S. economic security by identifying technologies with the potential …

Could Algae Biofuel Doom The Keystone XL Pipeline?
February 22, 2013 – 6:52 pm | No Comment

by Tina Casey (Clean Technica)  As pressure on the Obama Administration to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline ramps up, algae biofuel is emerging as yet another domestic energy source that undercuts every argument for the …

If You’re Not Extracting Corn Oil, Why Not?
February 15, 2013 – 3:01 pm | No Comment

by John Davis and Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  Ethanol producers need to squeeze every penny out of their operations. But one expert in the field of corn oil wonders why some refiners aren’t trying to capture …

DOE Seeks Comment on Efforts to Improve Vehicle Performance, Fuel Economy
February 15, 2013 – 11:16 am | No Comment

(US Department of Energy)  The Energy Department on February 1 invited public comment on an upcoming solicitation totaling more than $50 million for new research projects that will develop advanced technologies to improve vehicle performance …

The Electric Car Mistake
February 12, 2013 – 9:59 am | No Comment

by Charles Lane (The Washington Post)  The Obama administration’s electric-car fantasy finally may have died on the road between Newark, Del., and Milford, Conn.
The New York Times’s John M. Broder reported Friday that the Tesla Model S …

Scientists Turn Toxic Byproduct into Biofuel Booster
February 11, 2013 – 1:45 pm | No Comment

(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine)  Scientists studying an enzyme that naturally produces alkanes—long carbon-chain molecules that could be a direct replacement for the hydrocarbons in gasoline—have figured out why the natural reaction typically stops after three …

DOE Aims To Boost Biofuel, Advanced Vehicle Programs With New Office
February 8, 2013 – 2:09 pm | No Comment

by John Siciliano (Inside EPS’s Clean Energy Report)  The Department of Energy (DOE) is restructuring its renewable energy program to create an office of transportation, with officials saying the move will help better coordinate and prioritize …

Alternative Fuel Project Gets $500,000 from U.S. Energy Department
February 8, 2013 – 12:17 pm | No Comment

by Richard Craver (Winston-Salem Journal)  The U.S. Energy Department has made a $500,000 award to the Alternative Fuel Implementation Team for N.C. project, which is led by the N.C. Solar Center at N.C. State University.
The …

Biofuels Blend Right In
February 1, 2013 – 8:10 pm | No Comment

(Nanowerk.com)  A collaborative study by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a bioenergy research center led by Berkeley Lab, and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has shown that an ionic liquid …

“Good Bye to All That” Secretary Chu Leaves Department of Energy (With Apologies to Robert Graves)
February 1, 2013 – 4:22 pm | No Comment

by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Secretary of the Department of Energy Steven Chu announced his resignation today (February 1st) in a 3,700 word “Dear Colleague” address. While this is the time usually reserved for …

Energy Secretary Steven Chu Ignores Biofuels at DC Auto Show and in Resignation Remarks
February 1, 2013 – 1:59 pm | No Comment

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  In yesterday’s address on Policy Day at the Washington, DC Auto Show, Energy Secretary Steven Chu spoke passionately about the need for the US to reduce dependence on foreign …

Sandia Scientist Engineers Cyanobacteria for Fuel
January 30, 2013 – 8:46 pm | No Comment

by Sue Holmes (Sandia News Media/Algae Industry Magazine)  Sandia National Laboratories Truman Fellow Anne Ruffing has engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels, and has also found that …

U.S. DOE Allots $6 Million to Biomass Supply Chain Technologies
January 29, 2013 – 6:19 pm | No Comment

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine)  The U.S. DOE has made $6 million available for projects focused on developing and demonstrating supply chain technologies that will enable delivery of commercial-scale lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks to U.S. biorefineries.
The …

Is Reduction of Our Dependence on Foreign Oil Just Talk?
January 29, 2013 – 3:31 pm | No Comment

(National Algae Association)  Is the government’s commitment to alternative fuels being stymied by the American Petroleum Institute, or is the Department of Energy stymying the commitment all by itself?
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the …

Texas Researcher Looks into Biodiesel Production from Lignin
January 25, 2013 – 8:25 pm | No Comment

by Holly Jessen  (Biodiesel Magazine)  A two-year research project aims to crack the lignin question by engineering a microbe to break down the byproduct into a lipid, or fat, and then into biodiesel. The research …

LS9: Hail and Farewell
January 23, 2013 – 11:31 am | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  One of biofuels’ most-celebrated technologies falters; the struggle to raise capital claims a high-profile victim.
…The company had been known for its awesomely promising technology, leisurely pace towards commercialization compared to …

Project in Tri-Cities Using Ag Waste to Create Biofuel Becoming Commercially Reliable
January 22, 2013 – 10:16 am | No Comment

by Kristi Pihl  (Tri-City Herald)  A pilot project to produce biofuel using agricultural and organic municipal waste has reached levels that makes the process commercially viable, researchers say.
The project, paid for by the Department of …

DOE Announces $10M in Funding for “Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield” Project
January 18, 2013 – 12:18 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  DOE sets goal of 2,500 gallon per acre algae biomass demonstration by 2018.
In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced a “Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield” Funding Opportunity of up …

Fungi, the Rodney Dangerfield of Biofuels
January 7, 2013 – 5:11 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Now, yeast is a fungi, but fungi as a Kingdom is a lot broader than our friend yeast and, like Rodney Dangerfield, it been getting, by and large, no respect, …

Future of Green Racing in US Unclear after 2013
January 6, 2013 – 6:04 pm | No Comment

by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) The future of the American Le Mans GreenX ChallengeTM in particular and Green Racing in general is uncertain past the 2013 racing season. On Friday, January 4th 2013, NASCAR GRAND-AM …

Energy Department Awards $10 Million to Develop Advanced Biofuels and Bio-based Products
January 4, 2013 – 3:00 pm | No Comment

(Department of Energy)  As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, …

The Beltway Biochemist: Valerie Reed
January 3, 2013 – 5:12 pm | No Comment

by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine)  Valerie Reed, acting manager for the U.S. DOE Biomass Program, is leading a federal government initiative of nearly $200 million to expedite the commercialization of next-generation, biomass-based fuels and chemicals. …

12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects for 2013
January 1, 2013 – 5:54 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters.  Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. …

Boosting Galactan Sugars Could Boost Biofuel Production
December 26, 2012 – 5:01 pm | No Comment

(EScienceNews.com)  Galactan is a polymer of galactose, a six-carbon sugar that can be readily fermented by yeast into ethanol and is a target of interest for researchers in advanced biofuels produced from cellulosic biomass. Now …

Obama Energy Chief Backs Effort to Encourage Renewable Investments
December 21, 2012 – 1:59 pm | No Comment

by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire)  The Obama administration lent its support Wednesday to a congressional effort that would open a financing structure for renewable energy.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu called on Congress to approve legislation …

Special Forest Products Journal Biofuels Issue
December 18, 2012 – 7:21 pm | No Comment

(WebWire)  Biofuels made from high yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy …

DE-FOA-0000812: Carbon, Hydrogen and Separation Efficiencies in Bio-Oil Conversion Pathways(CHASE BIO-OIL PATHWAYS)
December 17, 2012 – 2:03 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will address research and development (R&D) challenges that were identified at a stakeholder workshop held in December 2011 called “Conversion Technologies for Advanced Biofuels” (CTAB) and from …

NREL and Johnson Matthey Announce Five-Year Collaboration on Biofuels
December 17, 2012 – 12:00 pm | No Comment

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)  Goal is to develop new catalysts to lower costs for producing biofuels
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will partner with Johnson Matthey, a global specialty chemicals company, …

DOE Funds $650K for Algae Research at Stevens Institute
December 9, 2012 – 7:13 pm | No Comment

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Funded by a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biomass Program, Dr. Adeniyi Lawal of Stevens Institute of Technology will be leading a team investigating microalgae as a biomass …

Energy Information Administration Releases Annual Energy Outlook 2013 Reference Case; $8 Gasoline, $268 Oil Ahead, Despite Increased US Energy Production, Says EIA
December 6, 2012 – 3:30 pm | No Comment

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 …

CU-Led Team Receives $9.2 Million DOE Grant to Engineer E. coli into Biofuels
December 5, 2012 – 2:11 pm | No Comment

(University of Colorado–Boulder)  A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded $9.2 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to research modifying E. coli to produce biofuels such …

NREL Researchers Use Imaging Technologies to Solve Puzzle of Plant Architecture
November 30, 2012 – 1:51 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory)  Breakthrough could help optimize capture of sugars for biofuels
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) combined different …

DE-FOA-0000796: RFI – Carbon, Hydrogen and Separation Efficiencies in Bio-Oil Conversion Pathways (CHASE BIO-OIL PATHWAYS)
November 30, 2012 – 1:43 pm | No Comment

(US Department of Energy)  This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. DOE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This …

“Biofuels Have the Momentum”: US Senate Votes 54-41 to Clear Navy’s Path to Affordable, Advanced Biofuels Capacity
November 30, 2012 – 12:20 pm | No Comment

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. …

Colorado State University Receives $2 Million to Develop Biofuels
November 29, 2012 – 1:47 pm | No Comment

by Bobby Magill (The Coloradoan)  Colorado State University has been awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to genetically modify plants for use as biofuel.
The money will pay for researchers to …

The Information Source for Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles
November 27, 2012 – 12:04 pm | No Comment

(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 …

Fuel From Waste, Poised at a Milestone
November 17, 2012 – 1:08 pm | No Comment

by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times)  For years, scientists and engineers have been juggling various combinations of acids, steam, bacteria, catalysts and the digestive juices of microorganisms to convert agricultural waste and even household …

The Next US Secretary of Energy: Poll
November 12, 2012 – 12:41 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, rumors abound that US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu may step aside shortly for a new Secretary – with President Obama seeking a number of cabinet-level changes to …

ZeaChem Completes Construction of Cellulosic Ethanol Biorefinery
October 30, 2012 – 11:07 am | No Comment

(ZeaChem)  ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has completed construction of its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The project was completed on budget and is …

A.I.M. Interview: ASU’s Dr. Milton Sommerfeld
October 29, 2012 – 11:32 am | No Comment

by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine)  Big algae news in the state of Arizona is the $15 million award by the Department of Energy to Arizona State University to establish a national algae science and …

The Dandelion Model: Two-Step Biofuels Technologies and the Emergence of Super-Refineries
October 24, 2012 – 12:01 pm | No Comment

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Can local communities pyrolize their wastes and residues, to make renewable fuels and chemicals at biobased super-refineries?   Two-step processes could be the ticket to the future, according to an …

RTI International to Build Energy Technology Development Facility to Support Biofuels Projects
October 23, 2012 – 5:31 pm | No Comment

(RTI)  RTI International began construction last week on a new 3,000-square-foot energy technology development facility on RTI’s main campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C.
The facility will house a biomass pyrolysis reactor to further extend RTI’s biofuels …