Tim Holden (D-PA) chair of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, held hearings concentrating on the future of next generation biofuels. Dallas Tonsager, Under Secretary for Rural Development
Archive
At Frederick County’s Solid Waste Options presentation, Dave Specca, Assistant Director of the Rutgers EcoComplex described how landfill gases fuel compressed natural gas garbage trucks at the EcoComplex. Watch video
In support of the Department of Defense Assured Fuels Initiative for securing domestic fuel sources to meet the military’s energy needs, Air Force Research Laboratory and the Southwest Research Institute
by Nate Ryan (USA Today) …The concept might seem incongruous in a sport inherently tied to an internal combustion engine that many find synonymous with global warming, but NASCAR, despite
Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley: Biofuels and the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday, October 29, 2009 … The first issue I’m speaking about relates to the EPA’s proposal to
(Alpha Galileo) Aston University in Birmingham, UK is involved in a € 3.73m (£3.4 million) research project, which will transform organic residues from biofuel production processes into a renewable biofuel that
(National Corn Growers Association) The Midwest Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments issued a series of resolutions recently containing policy resolutions adopted that aim to increase the use
The contemporary biofuels market, born amid the chaos of the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973, has alternately sputtered, stalled and lurched, but has yet to cruise at its objective speed
With gas prices continually in flux, interest in domestically produced bio-fuels like ethanol (E85) is on the rise. Recently, Coskata Inc., a leading developer of alternative bio-fuels, announced the successful
Dear Secretary Chu: The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the national trade association representing the U.S. ethanol industry, is writing to express our concern about the current operation and direction of
The publicly available tool–driven by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati content–aggregates and frequently updates the numerous financing opportunities, such as grants, loan guarantees, tax credits, and other programs, being offered
by John Lorinc (New York Times) Enerkem, a green energy company based in Quebec, has developed an alternative approach to mining the carbon out of non-recyclable plastics, construction waste and other
Bio Base Europe, the Biopark Terneuzen and Ghent Bio-Energy Valley joint initiative launched in April 2009, has said its new bio-focused Training Centre is on course to open in early
(Novozymes) … “The article in Science overlooks one important fact: Biofuels recycle atmospheric carbon while fossil fuels release carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years. In the
by Katharine Grayson (Minneapolis-St.Paul Business Journal) BioCee Inc. a startup that’s commercializing technology invented by a University of Minnesota professor, has received a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department
In California, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced that ARPA-E — the Department’s recently-formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy — has awarded $151 million in funding for 37 research projects. Biofuels
(Philstar.com) Visiting US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday that the US government is seeking partnership with the Philippines in terms of research on biofuel. Speaking at a press
The ‘peak oil’ debate is polarised, contentious and characterised by competing interpretations of the available data. A growing number of commentators are forecasting a near-term peak in global oil production
Our solution is creation of utility towers used for production of bio fuel and city air recuperation. The idea is to place these towers on positions of existing petrol stations
The International Centre of Science and High Technology of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (ICS-UNIDO) has been promoting programmes on capacity building and knowledge transfer in developing countries in
by Juliet Eliperin (Washington Post) More than a decade ago in the northeast corner of Bolivia, a group of polluters and environmentalists joined forces in the first large-scale experiment to
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) … Brazil’s largest sugar and ethanol producing group, said it expects to crush 58 million tonnes of cane in 2010/11 (April-March), up from 54 million tonnes
by Peter Murphy (Reuters) Some Brazilian motorists who fuel their cars solely on cane-based ethanol are switching back to gasoline as high sugar prices now make the biofuel more costly in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Department of Energy is requiring that to receive DOE loan guarantees renewable energy projects meet a debt rating standard higher than
by Jerry M. Melillo, et al. (Science Express) A global biofuels program will lead to intense pressures on land supply and can increase greenhouse gas emissions from land-use changes. Using
by Harry deGorter and David R. Just (Policy Analysis, Cato Institute) The federal “sustainability standard” requires ethanol to emit at least 20 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) than gasoline. Recent rulings
(Science Daily) Converting the rubbish that fills the world’s landfills into biofuel may be the answer to both the growing energy crisis and to tackling carbon emissions, claim scientists in
(Reuters) Biodiesel is better than ever at harnessing the power of the sun and turning it into fuel. In fact, a study shows the fuel is returning more than four
New Zealand’s National Instititue of Water and Atmospheric Research’s mission is to conduct leading environmental science to enable the sustainable management of natural resources for New Zealand and the planet.
… Damages per vehicle mile traveled were remarkably similar among various combinations of fuels and technologies — the range was 1.2 cents to about 1.7 cents per mile traveled —
by Guy Chazan (Wall Street Journal) The biofuels industry, hit hard by the global credit crunch, is getting a shot in the arm from a new source–the oil majors. Among the
Verenium Corporation, a pioneer in the development of next-generation cellulosic ethanol and high-performance specialty enzymes, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Value Prior to Pulping (VPP), an
The Global Sustainable Biomass Fund supports developing countries in making their biomass production for energy uses sustainable. It thus enables them to access the local or international market of sustainable
by Professor Shiro Saka (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter) … According to our research in recent years, approximately 370 million tons of biomass resources are annually produced in Japan. Among
(The Korea Herald) Kumho Petrochemical Co., the South Jeolla provincial government and a local biotechnology firm agreed Thursday to establish an algae bioethanol plant by 2013, officials said, according to
by Michael Totty (Wall Street Journal) It’s a tall order: Over the next few decades, the world will need to wean itself from dependence on fossil fuels and drastically reduce
(United Nations Environment Programme) The number of scientific publications devoted to biofuels is growing exponentially, and the number of reviews is increasing rapidly. For decision makers it has become a
Boeing [NYSE: BA], the Airports and Auxiliary Services agency (ASA), an arm of Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transport, and Honeywell’s UOP today announced a collaboration to identify, research and
by Peter Fairley (Technology Review) … Producing advanced biofuels on the scale of tens of billions of gallons per year will mean financing several hundred commercial-scale biorefineries at a net
Biofuel Africa Ltd. has begun commercial production of jatropha oil, the first company in West Africa to move from growing and selling jatropha fruits and seeds to production and sale
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) Use of sugar cane-based ethanol as a substitute for gasoline is among the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Brazilian
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) Looking at some real-world numbers, it becomes clear that the fear raised in Fixing a Critical Climate Accounting Error, Science, October 23, 2009,
(Advanced Biofuels USA) A study published in Science magazine promotes a policy which would penalize American biofuels industries in US legislation and regulation and in international global climate change agreements.
by Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) The world’s policymakers and scientists have made a critical error in how they count biofuels’ contribution to human-generated greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a paper published
(Detroit Public Television) When most folks see a number like 10% they’re receiving a discount on a sale item or reading a nutritional chart at the grocery store. But the
Tom Buis (Growth Energy) “Ethanol is part of the natural carbon cycle. It has taken the lifetime of our planet to produce the oil that is in the ground. Biofuels
(Renewable Fuels Association) Biofuels produced from biomass feedstocks (i.e. plant matter) are, by definition, carbon neutral because carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions from the combustion of biofuels are readily absorbed by growing
(Nitrogen News)… “The error is serious, but we can fix it,” said lead author Tim Searchinger, a research scholar at Princeton University and a fellow with the German Marshall Fund
by Keith Johnson (Wall Street Journal) The law of unintended consequences strikes yet again. Global plans to tackle climate change, from the Kyoto Protocol to the recently-passed Waxman-Markey bill, have a
by Sindya N. Bhanoo (New York Times) … The problem boils down to this: In emission calculations, all fuel derived from plants and other organic sources — including ethanol — is generally treated
by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine) At first blush, it’s easy to make the case for biofuels. By converting crops into ethanol or biodiesel, farmers can reduce demand for imported
by Tim Searchinger, et al. (Science Magazine) The accounting now used for assessing compliance with carbon limits in the Kyoto Protocol and in climate legislation contains a far-reaching but fixable
by Marshall Wise, et al. (Science Magazine) Limiting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations to low levels requires strategies to manage anthropogenic carbon emissions from terrestrial systems as well as fossil
REN21 released its report Recommendations for Improving the Effectiveness of Renewable Energy Policies in China. This report provides a list of recommendations to the policy makers in China on improving
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Magazine) A project in Pennsylvania seeks to determine if abandoned and active mine lands can be reclaimed and used to grow biofuel crops such as switchgrass
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, cellulosic ethanol pioneer BlueFire Ethanol Fuels announced strategic relocation of its second planned biorefinery to Fulton, Mississippi. After having been awarded a $40
Production of liquid biofuels such as diesel and jet fuel from organic materials including municipal waste, is an attractive proposition. But using conventional large scale plants requires bulky waste to
Imagine filling up your car with fuel that comes from inexpensive algae that grow quickly, don’t use up freshwater supplies and can be cultivated in areas where they won’t compete
Coskata Inc., a leading developer of next generation biofuels, today announced the successful start-up of their semi-commercial flex ethanol facility located in Madison, PA. The accomplishment represents the successful scale-up of
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) … The facility, built by a company called Coskata, is not quite proof that a new era is at hand for American transportation fuels.
by Jeremy Burne (Just-Auto) Not many dispute the relationship between success on the track and success at the dealership, most acknowledge
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Back to my beloved TDI. This time not the expensive Audi’s, but Volkswagen’s Jetta
by Andrew C. Revkin (New York Times) … By 2020, he hopes that fuel for his companies’ jet fleets will
POET is one step closer to gleaning the maximum value from each part of the corn kernel with a new
Cyclone received the NAA award for its heat regenerative, Rankine cycle engine, an efficient and earth-friendly modern steam engine capable
by Alan Hoffman Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) recently broke ground on the new Sustainable Technologies Center. This multimillion-dollar LEED
by Bettina H. Chavanne (Aviation Week) … (U.S. Navy Secretary Ray) Mabus also introduced the idea of a Great Green
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, Biofuels Digest has found that cars running on E85 corn-based ethanol, at the
( Greenjobs ) …Recently Cecelia Williams and other Sandia researchers have grown green algae in a 12-by-30-foot greenhouse using a simulated
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest) Despite the Indian Government’s official go-slow policy on Jatropha, several Indian states are now planting
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) GM’s Corvette proudly flies the Green Challenge Champion banner over its paddock at Petit
US Dept. of Energy Secretary Cho Articulates Administration’s Real Attitude toward Advanced Biofuels
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu, broke with Obama administration renewable energy
(Journal of Industrial Ecology) Corn-ethanol production is expanding rapidly with the adoption of improved technologies to increase energy efficiency and
(BusinessWire) Accelergy Corporation and A2BE Carbon Capture LLC today announced the formation of the Carbon Cycle Technology Alliance at the
(CCTV) After producing aircraft components for Boeing for more than two decades, China is expected to become the US airplane manufacturer’s
by Geoffrey Thomas (Eco-Aviation Today) In one of the hardest-hitting speeches in recent times, Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe lashed
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Bryan MacDonald, Highcroft Racing’s chief operating officer took a crack at explaining how
(Reuters) Germany’s Bayer, the world’s largest supplier of genetically modified (GM) rapeseed seeds, mapped out the entire genetic code of
As Europe’s leading automotive fuel refiner and marketer, Total is committed to stepping up the development of second-generation biofuels, which
by Adrian Schofield (Aviation Week) ICAO members have reached agreement on a set of environmental targets for the aviation sector,
(GreenAirOnline.com) Glenn Tilton, Chairman of both United Airlines and the Air Transport Association of America, called on government, investors and
(Alpha Galileo) The role of the forests is assumed to increase in the future, as an important buffer of climate
by Gus Trompiz and Valerie Parent (Reuters) The current generation of biofuels meets a European target for cutting carbon dioxide
The objective of this study was to determine the fuel efficiencies and emission profiles of flex fuel vehicles operating on
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA said 86 U.S. ethanol production facilities will qualify as “major” sources
by Dave Guerin (Louisiana Tech University) Dr. James Palmer, associate professor of chemical engineering at Louisiana Tech University, is collaborating with
by Nikolaj Nielsen (All Africa.com; Pambazuka News) … Biofuels were then and continue to be in many respects hyped as
(Reuters) Medicago Inc., a small Canadian biotech company, said on Thursday it will work with the U.S. Army to study
by Joanne Schroeder (DomesticFuel) The biofuels industry has yet to get a famous show like Mythbusters to test some of the
(Discover) …(A)recent series of articles from Nature News feels like a public service, as the articles investigate the scientific and
Area farmers will see new and pre-commercial equipment in action harvesting corn cobs for cellulosic ethanol next month at Project
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) provides a summary of the developing algae ethos at the Algae Biomass Summit in San Diego:
(SpeedTV) The tenth and final race of the 2009 American Le Mans Series season provided a fitting test to determine
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) BP and Shell had a bit of a rivalry going on at Petit LeMans.
Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) I am not a car guy. Not a car gal. That said, I LOVE the
by Jessica Leber (New York Times Climatewire) The emerging cellulosic biofuel industry, stung by frozen credit markets, ineffective federal loan
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Drayson Racing (without Barwell this year) had a new, much faster car (built less
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) In search of the real people doing real work on real technologies to develop advanced
The Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation focused its August 2009 issue on papers related to biofuels including: A
by Bob Mitchell Although almost two-thirds of Wisconsinites support the use and production of biofuels, less than half think the
(Science Daily) A new yeast that makes ethanol from both five-carbon and six-carbon sugars without needing oxygen has been developed by
A strain of yeast that thrives on turning sugar cane and other tough grasses into ethanol that might be used
(Reuters) European Union countries are split over plans to introduce an EU-wide carbon tax on fuel, which could be proposed
by Emily Waltz (Mother Jones) When Adam Freeman graduated last December from Kennesaw State University in Georgia with a degree
(National Resources Defense Council 92-page report) The algae biofuels industry is comprised of many pathways to produce fuels from algae
(Hoosier Ag Today, Indiana Corn Marketing Council) For the last five years, Madison County farmer Mike Shuter has maintained the
by Robin Pagnamenta (Times Online) Britain’s self-sufficiency in wheat will end next year, because a giant new biofuel refinery needs
(UPI) The Egyptian government is interested in cultivating plants with biofuel potential. The Egyptian state Wikalat Al-Anbaa’ Al-Sharq Al-‘awsat news
(BBC) One of Scotland’s best known whisky distilleries is taking part in a scheme to cut carbon dioxide emissions using
The German Marshall Fund on September 25, 2009, sponsored a debate at the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington,
(Kansas Farmer) Researchers are invited to submit proposals to help wheat growers. Possible areas of inquiry include wheat and wheat
Recyllose™, a recycled solids-based material produced from municipal wastewater, can now be turned into fuel for cars, announced Applied Cleantech
Focusing on its work with corn cobs as a cellulosic ethanol feedstock, POET’s latest video provides a basic look at
by Steve Tarter (Journal Star) A biodiesel plant in Peoria County moved a step closer to reality Monday as U.S.
Boeing announced it is joining with Honeywell’s UOP to commission a study on the sustainability of a leading family of
Advanced biofuel producers announced the formation of the Low Carbon Synthetic Fuels Association (LCSFA), with members including TRI, Rentech Inc.,
(Wall Street Grand) Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. had announced the beginning of commercial transportation of blended 2% biodiesel (B2) through
Regarding international indirect land use change analysis: A recent report on biofuels from the General Accounting Office, a nonpartisan, watchdog
By Mike Mande (The East African) Tanzania has suspended investments worth millions of dollars after a storm of protest over the
(Time) Each of Burma’s states and divisions was ordered to dedicate around 500,000 acres (202,000 hectares) to physic-nut (jatropha) cultivation, pressuring
by Nick Wadhams/Kibwezi (Time) Everyone in Kibwezi, a village in southeastern Kenya parched by four years of drought, remembers the
A new research paper, Bitumen and Biocarbon, was released today by Global Forest Watch Canada. The paper reveals that significant
The College of William and Mary and its Virginia Institute of Marine Science have formed a collaborative research initiative to
(Reuters) U.S. commercial airlines and military aircraft would make a strong long-term market for alternatives to jet fuel, said Glenn
Manning Feraci, Vice President of Federal Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), testified before the U.S. House Committee on
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, and the US Environmental Protection Agency have published a “State Bioenergy Primer: Information
… In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal BioScience, David Flaspohler, Joseph Fargione and colleagues analyze
by Charles Abbott (Reuters) U.S. farmers could grow enough corn to produce 25 billion gallons of ethanol in 2030, twice
Hart’s Global Biofuels Center released its annual Global Ethanol & Biodiesel Outlook. The study provides forecasts to 2015 and covers
A team of researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are attempting to engineer biofuel-producing microbes from Rhodococcus bacteria — soil-dwelling
Brazilian ethanol produced from sugarcane can help the United States meet its advanced renewable fuel targets, while helping reduce emissions.
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) … The Caribbean Basin Ethanol Producers Group, which consists of Trinidad Bulk Traders Ltd.,
(Businesswire) BioFuelBox Inc., a leader in waste-to-fuel solutions, announces the world’s first fully scaled refinery for converting waste fat, oil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, biobutanol made another significant advance in its path towards biofuels viability with the
OriginOil, Inc., announced an innovative production system using a type of algae that attaches itself to growth surfaces. The new
by Frank Vascellaro (WCCO) … The plant creates fuel without water, chemicals or waste. The new process called “Mcgyan”– named
by Cole Gustafson (INFORUM) … (Indirect land use change) LUC is thought to occur in response to rising U.S. grain prices.
(the Nebraska Farmer) … USDA estimates that Nebraska corn farmers will bring in 1.55 billion bushels of corn this year
World Growth report exposes how attempts by environmental NGOs to restrict production, trade of palm oil (a sustainable oil) would
Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Bangkok to Fargo, biofuels scientists have hit back at what they term faulty research and
(Renewable Energy World) Poet’s ambitious goal of securing 700 tons of cellulosic biomass per day got a big boost this
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Magazine) Researchers with China-based Ji Zhong Wei New Energy Technical Development Ltd. have discovered a way