by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On June 13, the Senate ag committee approved the its version of the 2018 Farm Bill with bipartisan support. The legislation includes an amendment offered by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Senate Agriculture Committee will take up amendments to the farm bill today, but negotiations were still ongoing as to just which of 186 submitted would get a vote. Here …

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy)  EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is expected to travel to Kansas this morning, where he’ll stop by East Kansas Agri-Energy’s ethanol plant in Garnett. The trip comes a week after the …

by Tim Albrecht (Biomass Magazine)  Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced three bills this week to boost rural economic opportunities by expanding USDA funding eligibility for clean energy projects. This funding would help improve electric grid security, …

by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  On Friday, June 8, the Senate Agriculture Committee released the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. In contrast to the GOP-only bill that has advanced in the House, the bipartisan Senate …

(U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture/Federal Register)  … U.S. Department of Energy is soliciting nomination for candidates to fill vacancies on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Committee).  …  Deadline for Technical …

(Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN))  Senator Leads Bipartisan Push for Strong Funding and Focus on Energy As Senate Begins Work on Farm Bill in Coming Days  —  As the Senate prepares to begin work on the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and …

(Solutions from the Land)  One of the three pillars of climate-smart agriculture is actions that farmers can take to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and simultaneously improve profitability. A principal means by which the agriculture …

(Algae Biomass Organization)  ABO’s ongoing work in Washington, DC, to educate Congress and federal agencies on the importance of robust algae research, development and demonstration has resulted in the release of an unprecedented series of funding …

by Brent Erickson (The Hill/Biotechnology Innovation Organization)  Since 2002, the farm bill has contained an energy title, with cost-effective programs that support private investment in renewable energy, biobased manufacturing and energy efficiency. The programs are extremely …

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters)  Top officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the departments of Energy and Agriculture plan to meet on Thursday to hammer out details of President Donald Trump’s planned changes to the …

by Tom C. Doran (AgriNews Publications)  It was good news and bad news for corn growers and ethanol proponents after President Donald Trump met with legislators to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard.
A White House meeting with Sens. …

(CNBC/Reuters) The U.S. House of Representatives will vote for a second time on a massive farm bill after the measure was defeated last week, according to a report. The vote on the $867 billion bill …

by Mikkel Pates (Agweek)  Ag technology promoters are pedaling hard for biofuels-friendly policies in Washington, D.C., to make life livable for cash-strapped farmers supplying markets that didn’t exist 30 years ago.

Erick Lutt, director of industrial …

by Leyla Battista* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Consortium for Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership and Education (CABLE) grant was established by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare the next generation of leaders and integrate them …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Breaking news arrives from the Ag Energy Coalition regarding the 2018 Farm Bill. Green Capiltol’s Lloyd Ritter writes: 

Rep. Biggs farm bill amendment was made in order by the Rules Committee …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Near Reno, Nevada, Fulcrum BioEnergy broke ground today for its 10 million gallon per year first commercial plant that makes jet fuel from municipal solid waste.
For thousands of years we …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) A recent amendment to the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 requires the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish the national mandatory bioengineered (BE) food disclosure standard. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  We usually say, ICYMIs for those In Case You Missed Its that show up in someone’s inbox.  This week, we might re-purpose that useful acronym to:  In Case Your Money Isn’t Sufficient — because …

by Mahmood Ebadian and James D. McMillan (IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Newsletter)  … The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) was enacted in 2007 to enhance domestic production of fuels and spur economic development while reducing reliance …

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3 million in funding for advanced biofuels, bioenergy, and biobased products available through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI). DOE …

by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg)  Tentative agreement struck during a White House negotiation; Refiners could benefit with biofuel exports allowed for quotas  —  A tentative deal on U.S. biofuel policy struck at the White House would allow year-round …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide …

by Robert Pore (Grand Island Independent)  Bosselman Travel Center at 3335 W. Wood River Road in Grand Island will be celebrating Renewable Fuels Month in May.

The Bosselman event is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA is soliciting applications for up to $5 million in funding under its Repowering Assistance Program, which helps eligible biorefineries use biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels used …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In California, Greenbelt Resources Corporation and Duckweed DAYS commenced their inaugural Duckweed Project to commercialize the duckweed model developed by the Andrew J. Young Foundation. Tests conducted during a pilot program indicated that …

(DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Oil state partisans, including certain refiners, have raged about a credit-trading market within the program that they say causes undue economic pain. The biofuels industry counters that those compliance credits, known as …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  In another blow to support for the House version of the farm bill, the National Farmers Union’s board of directors early Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution to oppose the …

by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association)   EPA’s recent actions in exempting small refineries from their Renewable Fuel Standard blending obligations for 2016 and 2017 have effectively lowered the volumetric obligations by at least 1.6 billion …

(United Steelworkers/PR Newswire)  The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that on Thursday, April 26, about 100 workers from independent merchant oil refineries owned by Monroe Energy, Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) and PBF Energy will rally for …

by Tim Albrecht (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Canada recently filed its 2017 annual biofuels report with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Information Network, showing Canadian production is at full capacity and imports of ethanol rose in …

by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming)  … In May 2017, during his (Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue) first month as secretary, he created the post of undersecretary for trade, a longtime goal of farm groups, as part of …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  …  In a statement, House Ranking Member Collin Peterson, D-Minn., criticized the legislation, calling it “a flawed bill that is the result of a bad nontransparent process.” Cuts to …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On April 12, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, bipartisan legislation that aims to legalize and clearly define hemp as an agricultural commodity and …

(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Renewable Fuels Association is excited to announce that E15 has debuted in the St. Louis area and will be available throughout the year.
Home Service Oil Co. now offers both E15 …

(National Wooden Pallet & Container Association/PR Newswire)   Preliminary results of a research project conducted by Virginia Tech on the disposal of wood pallets at landfill sites reveal that 95% of wooden pallets are being recycled.  

The landfill avoidance …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case.
As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On April 12, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, released a draft of the 2018 Farm Bill, officially titled the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. The legislation …

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters)  The Trump administration is considering allowing the sale of a higher ethanol fuel blend in the summer, a source familiar with the issue said, a move that would placate …

(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. Grains Council is now accepting applications for the organization’s advisory teams, known as A-teams, for the 2018-2020 term. A-teams are comprised of USGC member experts that provide insight and …

by Mario Parker (Bloomberg)  Change to biofuel mandate may mean destruction of corn demand; Growers already dealing with trade concerns, crop gluts  —  Based on his own back-of-the-envelope calculations, Minnesota farmer Kirby Hettver could lose tens of thousands …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Er, what are AHB, SUBI, BANR, SBAR, NARA, CENUSA, SPARC, IBSS and NEWBIO?
You’d be forgiven if you mistook Ahb Subi Banr-Sbar for a well-placed official in the Iranian government — but, in fact, it’s a 9-project …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of invention and change is just too strong, we’ve realized, to highlight annual or even quarterly or monthly rankings and summaries of significant product and service advances. For now, …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  Since their inception in the 2002 Farm Bill, Energy Title (Title IX) programs have helped farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and rural communities generate thousands of jobs and millions in economic …

(Univeristy of Illinois)  The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced a grant for $1 million to support research led by a University of Illinois scientist. The research will address the need for …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The production of Agrisoma’s Resonance Carinata is being expanded to multiple locations globally to provide a supply of sustainable, non-food oils for meeting the demand for sustainable biofuels. Resonance Carinata is …

by Jim Talent (Tribune News Service/Madison.com/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation)  … Biofuels are a target because they supply a full 10 percent of America’s motor fuel, and every extra gallon increases competition at the …

by Sarah Wurzbacher (Penn State Extension)  The Association of Warm-Season Grass Producers (AWSGP) has had a busy year, and now voices market optimism for perennial grass products.
One of the group’s primary efforts from the start has …

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters)   President Donald Trump is seriously considering abandoning efforts to remake the nation’s biofuel laws after wading deep into an issue that divides some of his core constituencies, according to three sources …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee are getting ready to move ahead on drafting a farm bill, ideally in April, and will seek to avoid the rancor over food …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)   A special assistant to President Donald Trump on agriculture said Wednesday, “the search for a win-win continues” in the debate over how to relieve oil refiners of their obligations …

(Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Pharmiweb)  The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today applauded USDA’s release of a new report, “Indicators of the U.S. Biobased Economy.” The report measures substantial economic growth, job creation, and household income for the agricultural sector from …

by Kelsey Tamborrino  (Politico’s Morning Energy)  Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. John Shimkus have some ideas. The two have been working on a bill for well over a year to overhaul the Renewable Fuel Standard, a likely …

by Karl Plume (Reuters)  U.S. agricultural exports could be at risk in any retaliation over tariffs implemented by the White House, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said on Monday.
…
Perdue said that while the United States …

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters)  The heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Agriculture Department are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to winnow down proposals to lower the cost of the nation’s biofuels policy to oil …

by Ben Wolfgang (Washington Times)  Green organizations back ending corn ethanol mandate  —  … The intense opposition to the RFS from environmental and conservation groups comes as the White House and congressional leaders work to craft the …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today invited applications for loan guarantees and grants for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects. 
These loan guarantees and grants are …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Combined, guayule (perennial) and guar (annual) feedstocks …

(Agri-Pulse) Oil, biofuels interests were originally set to meet Monday morning. READ MORE
BIOFUELS WHITE HOUSE MEETING SCRAPPED: (Politico’s Morning Energy)
MONDAY WHITE HOUSE MEETING ON RFS CALLED OFF (Brownfield Ag News; includes AUDIO)
Ethanol Interests Shout Opposition …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing in the businesses and technologies that support the …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On March 8, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced companion bills that aim to dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard and sunset blending obligations for conventional, advanced, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, more than 200 companies and trade associations today wrote House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders, urging them “to reauthorize and maintain stable mandatory funding for energy title programs in the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)   … I’d start with the news from Aemetis that they are embarking now on a $158 million cellulosic ethanol plant — to be built in Riverbank, California, in partnership with LanzaTech.
Cellulosic …

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters)  A delegation of workers from U.S. oil refining companies that oppose the nation’s biofuels policy will converge on Washington on Wednesday to lobby lawmakers to find a way to lessen the regulation’s …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  … So you have USDA saying ethanol demand has basically peaked. The Department of Energy is saying ethanol is really the only fuel that can provide the energy and …

by Kelly Shaver (Aemetis)  Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced today that the company successfully built and operated an integrated demonstration unit for more than 120 days of continuous operations with 94% uptime, meeting the requirements for a …

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest)  … Starting with the Federal Perspective and Programs Forum first thing in the morning, we heard from Harry Baumes from USDA who announced 5 more projects projecting to achieve financial closing in …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The ABLC 2018 conference began at the US Department of Agriculture headquarters with a focus on feedstock.  Jordan Solomon, Managing Director & CEO Ecostrat Inc.. kicked off the event …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  There was high drama in Washington, DC as the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference got underway and President Trump readies to meet at the White House with a number of biofuels leaders about …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, ABLC 2018 opens amidst a flutter of government rollbacks of deployment support but the hope of regulatory relief, breakthroughs in financial structuring, a decisive shift in early-stage projects to …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first demo flight on biofuel  which was done by Virgin Atlantic.
LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren shared the factoid that, since that day, more than …

by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News)  Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, …

by Andy Eubank (Hoosier Ag Today)  … “There are a lot of positives of NAFTA as it relates to agriculture in Indiana; and all throughout the value chain and economy we would feel the impact should …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA’s February 2018 Farm Income Forecast predicts net farm income will decline by or 6.7 percent this year. According to Growth Energy, the expected drop underscores the need for …

by Tom Bryan (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  It’s not every day that scientists stumble upon novel ways to make biofuel, but that’s exactly what Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have done by discovering that a simple catalyst …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today hailed the release of two studies by the Department of Energy that find ethanol-based high octane fuels can deliver substantial fuel economy improvements and emissions reductions when …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On Feb. 13, U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt met with members of the  forest products industry and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu to discuss a range of environmental issues. Pruitt also …

by Jeremy Gilpin, Jordan Blanchard, and Cindy Thyfault (National Rural Lenders Association/Biofuels Digest)  There has been a keen focus the last few weeks for President Trump and the USDA with the release of the Task Force on Agriculture …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency)   The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) has withdrawn support for the Farm-to-Fleet BPI Program, and is cancelling funding for the …

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)  President Donald Trump did mention energy in his first State of the Union address, albeit briefly.
“We have ended the war on American energy, and we have ended the war on beautiful clean coal,” …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  … According to the Department of Energy, substitution of renewable propylene glycol made from biomass can reduce greenhouse gases by 61 percent, as compared to using petroleum-based propylene …

(National Biodiesel Board)  Annual awards highlight 25 years of biodiesel success  —  As the U.S. biodiesel industry celebrates 25 years, the National Biodiesel Board’s annual awards recognize a diverse group of individuals and organizations who have made …

(Wisconsin State Farmer)  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will be in Pennsylvania Wednesday, Jan. 24 to roll out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Bill and legislative principles for 2018.  READ MORE
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pulls …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The USDA and U.S. Department of Energy have opened a funding opportunity that aims to support genomics-based research that will lead to the improved use of biomass and plant feedstock …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) is a multi-level research project that will cultivate two desert-dwelling crops, guayule and guar, for a sustainable bioeconomy. Scale up to profitable production, however, requires …

(National Biodiesel Board)  Argonne National Laboratory, US Dept. of Agriculture, and Purdue University affirm impressive emissions reductions  —  A new study on biodiesel’s lifecycle energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission effects updates and reaffirms the long-understood benefits …

by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  New research from Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago at Illinois and the International Food Policy Research Institute shows that incorporating conservation practices can both increase soil …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sometimes, what an engine needs to roar to life is a spark. Or a SPARC, as in this case.
As in the Southeastern Partnership for Advanced Renewables from Carinata (SPARC), a consortium consisting of …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  To date, North America is the most active of all regions in terms of deploying advanced technology — whether it is cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol for fuels and chemicals, or renewable chemical …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The 2014 Farm Bill provides for support of Advanced Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, and Biobased Product Manufacturing by providing loan guarantees for up to $250 million. USDA has funding available and is …

by Doug Sombke (Argus Leader/South Dakota Farmers Union)  Our esteemed U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released a report of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. While it is hard to get excited over any government …

(Meridian Waste Solutions Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Meridian Waste Solutions Inc., an integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services and innovative technology company, recently announced the award of a $3 million grant from the USDA to support the commercialization …

by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  Farm organizations are beginning to talk about the evolution of climate-smart agriculture and the need to ensure the U.S. remains at the table as the United Nations begins developing …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Advanced Biofuels USA has three overlapping reasons to attend and exhibit at the Keystone Farm Show: Educate attendees; Educate ourselves; Connect with people interested in joining the biofuels world.
For …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The  Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) has taken stock of its busy 2017 and has set priorities for 2018.
Highlights on the sustainable alternative jet fuel (SAJF) front include …

by Katie Nichols (Alabama Extension Daily)  Alabama growers are sowing the seeds of a new biofuel oil crop this winter. Brassica carinata, informally known as carinata, is similar to canola (Brassica napus L.)—a crop many producers introduced to rotations several …

(AgriMarketing)  The number of U.S. ethanol plants more than quadrupled since 1999, as demand for ethanol has increased. This growth in the number of plants is driven mainly by the Renewable Fuel Standard program, which was first …

(US Department of Agriculture)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today awarded a grant to improve biorefinery technologies through the Integrated Biorefinery Optimization (IBO) program. The funding comes from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Today, we’d like to share news that a new biorefinery for diesel and jet fuel has finalized $112.6 million loan, backed by a USDA loan guarantee.
This is Ryze Renewables, which will construct …

by Jarrett Renshaw  (Reuters) U.S. lawmakers from states that produce corn for ethanol plants said on Wednesday they would consider proposals from Senator Ted Cruz of Texas to help the oil refining industry cope with the nation’s …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Bottom line, if you’re in the business of financing a renewable fuels project with a loan guarantee in the mix, you’re probably talking with some combination of New Energy Risk, Stern …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … What are the top trends? Here are the 11 we see dominating the debate on the stage and on the floor.
Jet fuel deployment – how much, how soon, by whom? …

(Agri-Pulse)  This week’s guest on Open Mic is U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. While countless farm groups and members of the agriculture industry have expressed concern with the Trump Administration’s threats to pull out of …

by Richard Valdmanis and Jarrett Renshaw  (Reuters)  President Donald Trump’s administration called two lawmakers from the U.S. corn belt to convince them to join talks about potential changes to biofuels policy to ease the burden on oil refineries, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and …

(U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works)  Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide …

(Environmental Protection Agency)  Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that establishes the required renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) program for 2018, and biomass-based diesel for 2019.
“Maintaining the renewable …

by Carol Spaeth-Bauer (Wisconsin State Farmer)  A University of Wisconsin-Madison study released on Nov. 15 has officials in the ethanol industry frustrated, disputing the methodology of the study saying the claims of the study are not supported by fact.   
The …

by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  With the holiday season in full swing, we know Santa’s working on his list; who’s been naughty and who’s been nice? This is Washington, D.C., so you know …

by Michelle Ma (Phys.Org/University of Washington)  In the quest to produce affordable biofuels, poplar trees are one of the Pacific Northwest’s best bets—the trees are abundant, fast-growing, adaptable to many terrains and their wood can be …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Australia, Qantas will operate the world’s first biofuel flight between the United States and Australiaearly in the new year in collaboration with World Fuel Services and Altair Fuels. Qantas’ new Dreamliner …

by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association)  Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its average corn yield estimate to 175.4 bushels per acre, which if holds, would be a new record.
The November World Agriculture Supply and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … You’d be forgiven if you mistook Ahb Subi Banr-Sbar for a well-placed official in the Iranian government — but, in fact, it’s a 9-project network to facilitate the development of regionally-based …

(Advanced Biofuels USA)  Advanced Biofuels USA has added a summary of the findings of its USDA-funded feasibility study based on 2016 energy beet project at University of Maryland Eastern Shore.  New charts and graphs based …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  In October, the USDA Economic Research Service published a report on global ethanol mandates that outlines the opportunities for exports of U.S. ethanol and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). 
According …

(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced it is withdrawing a proposed rule to revise the Agency’s biotechnology regulations and will re-engage with …

(The BIRD Foundation/PR Newswire)  The total value of the approved projects is $10.5 million in the areas of Hydrogen/Storage, Transportation, Biofuels and Energy Efficiency —  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Israel’s Ministry of Energy (MoE) along …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers. Investing in the businesses and technologies that support the …

( USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently announced 17 grants for research on the next generation of agricultural technologies and systems …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  “Italian newspapers reported over the weekend that cellulosic ethanol developer Mossi & Ghisolfi shuts down this week,” reported a source from Europe. “227 people of whom 121 from the Crescentino ethanol …

by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association)  Drivers of flex fuel vehicles (FFVs), which can handle higher ethanol blends up to 85%, now have even more places to fuel up. According to E85prices.com, operated by the Renewable Fuels …

(USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently announced 17 grants for research on the next generation of agricultural technologies and systems to …

by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post)  The Environmental Protection Agency, in its ambitious effort to roll back the previous administration’s energy and environmental policies, has had a significant stumble with Republicans lawmakers. On both sides of the ethanol …

by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer)  In a letter to three federal agency heads on Tuesday, a group of 79 bipartisan members of the United States House of Representatives expressed concern about the direction being …

by Paul J. Gough (Pittsburgh Business Times)  Ethanol-added gasoline is available in more places in Pennsylvania, thanks to a $7 million federal grant to Sheetz.  The Altoona-based convenience store operator, which has locations all over southwestern Pennsylvania, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Nothing rang clearer as an industry imperative at ABLC Next last week than the theme of diversification in a Year of Living Dangerously, and we saw it in the news this …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In the biggest news sweeping the floor at ABLC Next 2017 and perhaps the biggest industrial biotechnology update of 2017, the long-awaited financing is approaching completion for Fulcrum Bioenergy’s highly-anticipated …

(University of Arizona News)  The goals of the Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions Center will be to address the nation’s needs for biofuels and bioproducts, strengthen Arizona’s bioeconomy, and provide training for the next generation of …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  The purpose of the SCRI program is to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by awarding grants to support research and extension that address key challenges of national, …

(U.S. Food and Drug Administration) The U.S Food and Drug Administration is announcing public meetings to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Francisco, California, regarding its Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative. Congress appropriated …

by Trey Mewes (Mankato Free Press)  As federal officials back off of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, U.S. Sen. Al Franken believes there’s going to be more work to do to ensure farmers and rural communities …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On Sept. 28, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a hearing on the 2018 Farm Bill focused on rural development and energy programs. The committee has …

by Tracy Turner (Ohio State University)  Students at The Ohio State University and Central State University, a historically black university in Wilberforce, will soon benefit from a $2.8 million grant designed to develop leaders for …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced six grants totaling nearly $21.1 million to support the development of new jet fuel, biobased products …

(World-Grain.com)  During a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) trade mission to São Paulo and Recife, Brazil, Sept. 25-29, leaders from 24 U.S. agribusinesses and trade organizations will explore opportunities to expand their agricultural exports and …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  On Sept. 19, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing on the nomination of Stephen Censky at deputy secretary of agriculture and Ted McKinney as …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today (September 20, 2017), U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has selected eight projects to negotiate for up to $15 million in total DOE funding to …

(Advanced Biofuels USA)  USDA-funded feasibility study based on 2016 energy beet project at University of Maryland Eastern Shore finds Navy solicitation is best market for economic viability of project followed by advanced ethanol for Mid-Atlantic …

by Eric Roston (Bloomberg)  Companies want to know the environmental impact of their supply chains. Researchers used a crucial commodity to show them.  —  Not every day does an obscure scientific report directly help massive U.S. …

by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com)  Senator Al Franken (D-MN), together with Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) have introduced the Agricultural Energy Programs Reauthorization Act of 2017, to reauthorize Title IX programs and funding through …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Florida is a hot state, in more ways than one, and we cover the Top 5 hottest Florida spots that hopefully remain intact or recover quickly after Irma’s impact, especially …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Information Network provides insight into the future ethanol market in Spain following the 2016 expiration of the ethanol-specific …

by Keith Loria  (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The 2014 Farm Bill—otherwise known as the Agricultural Act of 2014—places a larger emphasis on energy than past farm bills have. It includes the most recent version of the …

by Jon Shainman (WPTV)  Scientists on the Treasure Coast literally taking things from the ground to see if they can power things in the skies.
“I was physically pulling beets out of the ground in Belle Glade …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network predicts Australian biofuel production will reach 290 million liters (79.61 million gallons) this year, including 250 …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In June 2011, the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed MOU to commit $510M (up to $170M from each agency) to produce hydrocarbon jet and diesel biofuels in the …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  A Georgia-based joint venture is combining enzymatic and resin technologies with advanced distillation to convert brown grease to low-sulfur biodiesel. The plan is to prove out the process and make …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  In late July, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., introduced legislation that aims to repeal bioenergy programs contained under Title IX of the 2014 Farm Bill.
The bill, titled “Farewell to Unnecessary Energy …