Energy – Advanced BioFuels USA

Algae and Synthetic Ecology: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to New Mexico Consortium

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) New Mexico Consortium is non-profit corporation formed by 3 NM universities to facilitate research collaborations for universities, industry & Los Alamos Laboratory. They are looking to algae as a solution where cell factories could produce energy in a carbon neutral way with a primary focus on

May 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Microalgae: The Green Mines for Fueling the Future and Mitigating Heavy Metals

by Neha Arora (Science Trends) … Biofuels, particularly bioethanol and biodiesel, have been touted as one of the most propitious and greener alternatives since the beginning of the millennium. In this regard, algal-derived biofuels have the potential to become the savior of our dwindling fossil fuel reserves. … The energy-rich compounds,

May 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Breakthrough Technique for Studying Gene Expression Takes Root in Plants

(U.S. Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) Berkeley Lab scientists adapt open-source genetic analysis method for use in plant cells for the first time — An open-source RNA analysis platform has been successfully used on plant cells for the first time – a breakthrough that could herald a new era of fundamental

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

GREET Advances Understanding of the Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biopower

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model is a tool that examines the life-cycle impacts of vehicle technologies, fuels, products, and energy systems. It provides a transparent platform through which energy and vehicle producers, researchers, and regulators can evaluate energy and environmental effects of

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Leads the Drive toward a Renewable Future

(University of Wisconsin-Madison) … Transportation, heating and the plastics and chemicals we use every day all rely on petroleum products, but our insatiable appetite for fossil fuels will have catastrophic consequences for the health of the planet if left unchecked. That’s why engineers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), which

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Handout Recipients Reap Windfall Profits

(Growth Energy) A new report from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that net income for oil and gas companies hit a five-year high last year – in stark contrast to claims of “hardship” oil giants have used to skirt America’s biofuel laws. According to the report, “2018 was

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Letter from Washington – Taxes, Blends, RINs, Jobs and “The Year of the Tree”

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (C)onsider this for now a Digested summary of the (Washington, DC) news you can use, as short as we can make it so that we return you to the business of building the bioeconomy that will, increasingly in the now and surely in the

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

ExxonMobil Promises $100m for Biofuels and CCS Research

(Business Green) Oil giant ExxonMobil this week promised a fresh wave of up to $100m R&D cash to support the development of carbon reduction technologies. The company announced a 10-year agreement with the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory to fund research into biofuels and carbon capture technologies,

May 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Novel Process Derives Algae-Based Biofuel from Wastewater

by David Wagman (Engineering 360) … However, growing cyanobacteria at an industrial scale requires a lot of water and nutrients. The Idaho researchers decided to grow cyanobacteria at a wastewater treatment facility, producing algae to grow biofuels and also reducing blooms downstream. The researchers worked with the Drake Water Reclamation Facility

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

DE-FOA-0002029: FY19 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement DEADLINE: June 3, 2019

(U.S. Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to address the highest priority R&D areas within biofuel technologies, bioproducts, and biopower. It includes Areas of Interest (AOIs) from all five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced Algal Systems; Conversion; Advanced Development and Optimization; and Sustainability and

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

BP, Nouryon, and Port of Rotterdam Explore Green Hydrogen via Water Electrolysis

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From the Netherlands arrives the news that BP, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), and the Port of Rotterdam have joined forces to explore the opportunity of making ‘green hydrogen’ via water electrolysis for BP’s refinery in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which has the potential for significant reductions

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Government, National Labs, Academia, and Industry Convene at the 2019 BETO Peer Review! Presentations Now Available

(U.S. Department of Energy) From March 4–8, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review in Denver, Colorado. This was the largest Peer Review in BETO history—almost 600 people attended the event! Bioenergy researchers

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

DE-FOA-0002029: FY19 Bioenergy Technologies Office Multi-Topic Funding Opportunity Announcement

(U.S. Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will provide funding to address the highest priority R&D areas within biofuel technologies, bioproducts, and biopower. It includes Areas of Interest (AOIs) from all five BETO programs: Feedstock Supply and Logistics; Advanced Algal Systems; Conversion; Advanced Development and Optimization; and Sustainability and

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Better Biomaterials: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the “new ideas” laboratory, was established in 1952 at the height of the Cold War to meet urgent national security needs by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology and they continue to aspire to intellectual leadership, originality, and audacity. A.J. Simon, Group

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Algal Biofuel: The Long Road to Commercial Viability

by Chris Lo (Power Technology) The green technology sector has fallen out of love with algae as a feedstock for biofuel production, but there is hope yet for algae-derived fuel in the long-term. What are the recent advances that are refining the production processes that could see algal biofuel compete with

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Quality Challenges: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Idaho National Laboratory

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) INL is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s complex of national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of the strategic goal areas of DOE: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Chenlin Li,

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

(A)lgae + (B)iomass = (C)onstructive: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Sandia National Labs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sandia National Laboratories shares a famous acronym with Saturday Night Live but the work they have done is key to the future of the bioeconomy, having delivered essential science and technology to resolve the nation’s most challenging security issues for over 60 years. One piece of

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Earth Day 2019 – A Look at Carbon Negative and Carbon Capture Technologies, Advancements, and Possibilities

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … What was a nationwide celebration and peaceful demonstrations for environmental reform in the U.S. by some estimated 20 million Americans, Earth Day events have now expanded to over 193 countries and more than a billion people every year. … The top 5 CO2 producing countries in the

April 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Putting CO₂ Emissions to Work: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Opus 12

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Opus 12 has developed a device that recycles CO₂ into cost-competitive chemicals and fuels. Their technology bolts onto any source of CO₂ emissions, and with only water and electricity as inputs, transforms that CO₂ into some of the world’s most critical chemical products. Opus 12 was

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel at a much larger scale than even the largest biodiesel

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Sustainable Super JET Fuels: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to High Performance Fuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Researchersfrom several labs and universities like Georgia Tech, Sandia National Labs, University of Dayton, and others are working together on Engine Optimized Sustainable Drop-in JET High Performance Fuels (HPF). Anthe George manages the Biomass Science and Conversion Technologies department at Sandia National Laboratories and gave this illuminating

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Spero Renewables Announces Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy

(Spero Renewables/Online PR News) Spero Renewables Awarded $1.6 Million to Develop & Scale-up SPERLU™ Biomass-based Polymers Production — Spero Renewables, LLC, a Green chemistry company today announced a $1.6 million cooperative agreement with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable energy division of the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop and scale-up production of the company’s

April 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Gov. Ivey Awards Grant to AU for Feasibility Study on Biofuels Crop

(Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey) A $39,757 grant, awarded by Gov. Kay Ivey, will enable Auburn University to determine if an oilseed crop can be successfully grown and marketed in Alabama as a biofuel and become another cash crop for the state’s farmers. Carinata, also known as Ethiopian mustard, is

April 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Queensland’s Quest for a Circular Bioeconomy

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) …Today we look at Queensland, Australia – the innovators, the leaders, the investors. In the last few days, a Queensland oil refinery said it is making biofuel from old tires and hopes to commercialize it soon to help take care of a huge tire waste issue in

April 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Carbon Capture Bill

by Miranda Green (The Hill) A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill Thursday to increase federal funding toward developing carbon capture technology while also committing to fossil fuel use. Introduced by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the bill is being hailed as an important step to addressing

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA’s Latest Effort on SRE Transparency Helpful Progress But Not Enough

(Growth Energy) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced they will take comment on the current process for issuing small refinery exemptions, allowing EPA to post the names of refineries who have applied for and received small refinery exemptions, an important first step in providing transparency in the process. While

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA May Grant Fewer Biofuel Waivers Due to Low Credit Prices: Wheeler

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could grant fewer waivers exempting small refineries from the country’s biofuel policy as lower prices for blending credits have reduced the cost of compliance, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler told Reuters on Thursday. The Trump administration’s use of such waivers to save the

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

From Bioenergy to Bioproducts: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to JBEI

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Joint BioEnergy Institute is a U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center dedicated to developing advanced biofuels—liquid fuels derived from the solar energy stored in plant biomass that can replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuels. Inside JBEI’s Emeryville laboratories, researchers are using the latest tools in

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

DOE Offers $59 Million for Advanced Vehicle Technologies Research DEADLINE: May 1, 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy has opened a $59 million funding opportunity that aims to accelerate advanced vehicle technologies research. Clean Cities coalition-led alternative fuels projects are eligible to apply for a portion of that funding. According to the DOE, the funding opportunity seeks projects

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Wheeler Addresses SREs, RVO Reallocation during Recent Hearings

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told federal lawmakers in early April that it would be difficult for the agency to reallocate biofuel volumes waived by small refinery exemptions (SREs), even if Congress provided a legislative mechanism to do so. He also said the agency aims

April 5, 2019 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-EPA Waits on DOE Input to Process Small Refinery Waivers for 2018 from U.S. Biofuel Law

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is waiting to receive input from the Department of Energy to process 2018 applications exempting small refineries from U.S. biofuel laws, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Tuesday. Speaking at a hearing at the House Appropriations Committee, Wheeler said he expected

April 4, 2019 Read Full Article

Algae R&D Featured in Interagency Framework for Advancing the Bioeconomy

(Algae Biomass Organization) This month the federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board unveiled a multi-agency strategy to accelerate innovative biomass technologies for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. Algae cultivation is prominently featured among the suite of technologies the effort is harnessing. The B&RD Board is an interagency collaborative which is

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Reports Analyze High-Octane Gasoline Market

(Convenience Store Decisions) A high-octane standard for the U.S. gasoline market could be the fastest and most cost-effective way to enhance fuel efficiency for vehicles produced in the next few years. New reports published by the Fuels Institute analyze the market’s ability to deliver higher octane gasoline to consumers — and how it would

March 28, 2019 Read Full Article

The Next Chapter for Algae: The Farm Bill of 2018 Recognizes Algae as a Crop for the First Time. Will We Be Bold Enough to Treat It Like One?

by Rebecca White (iWi (Qualitas Health, Inc.)/Biofuels Digest) This Wednesday marks a major milestone in the history of the American algae industry: the first meeting in which the Biomass R&D Board Technical Advisory Committee officials will discuss algae as an agricultural crop. Up until now, the vast majority of governmental funding and support

March 27, 2019 Read Full Article

Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee — March 27-28, 2019 — Arlington, VA

This notice announces an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee under Section 9008(d) of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 amended by the Agricultural Act of 2014. The Federal Advisory Committee Act requires that agencies publish these notices in the Federal Register. Purpose of

March 22, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Likely to Grant Partial Waivers from U.S. Biofuel Laws for 2018: Sources

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is likely to issue partial waivers to some of the 39 small refineries seeking relief from the nation’s biofuel laws for 2018, in an unusual option to balance the competing interests of oil and corn producers, two sources briefed on the matter

March 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Bright Skies for Plant-Based Jet Fuels

by Aliyah Kovner (Berkeley Lab) Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers demonstrate that jet fuels made from plants could be cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels — … However, a new analysis by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) shows that sustainable plant-based bio-jet fuels could provide

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

NBB Commemorates National Biodiesel Day with Biodiesel Success Stories

(National Biodiesel Board) Meet just a few of biodiesel’s movers and shakers making an impact in this innovative industry — National Biodiesel Day takes place March 18, in honor of Rudolf Diesel’s birthday. In the 1890s, Rudolf invented the diesel engine, which was designed to run on peanut oil. Rudolf knew early

March 15, 2019 Read Full Article

This Beetle’s Gut May Hide Clues to Making Better Biofuels

(Berkeley News) The passalid beetle’s unique gut architecture helps it transform decaying wood into energy-rich materials. — Decaying wood doesn’t make the most nutritious food, but the long-horned passalid beetle has evolved to make the best of it. The guts of this forest-dwelling insect are adapted to take tough plant materials,

March 13, 2019 Read Full Article

ReactWell Licenses ORNL Catalyst for Energy Conversion Applications

(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) ReactWell, LLC, has licensed a novel waste-to-fuel technology from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to improve energy conversion methods for cleaner, more efficient oil and gas, chemical and bioenergy production. ReactWell will bring ORNL’s electrochemical process, which converts carbon dioxide directly into ethanol, into

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Trump’s $4.7T Plan Slashes Energy, Environment Programs

by George Cahlink (E&E News) … The decision means EPA would face a 31 percent cut over current spending, DOE an 11 percent reduction and Interior a 14 percent decrease, budget documents show. … The White House released only the broad outlines of its spending plans for agencies today; the more detailed appendix

March 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Engineered Microbe May Be Key to Producing Plastic from Plants

by Chris Barncard (University of Wisconsin-Madison) With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable — but frustratingly untapped — bounty into a replacement for ubiquitous plastics. Researchers, like those at the University of Wisconsin–Madison-based,

March 11, 2019 Read Full Article

New USDA Program Supports Innovation in Agriculture

(Algae Biomass Organization) ABO members are among a new generation of innovators that are bringing solutions to global challenges like food production, water use and climate change. As these innovators garner more attention, Congress has just begun to develop more programs that can give their efforts a boost. One that will

March 11, 2019 Read Full Article

New EIA Data Confirms Ethanol Demand Destruction in 2018

(Renewable Fuels Association) Total Ethanol Consumption and Average Blend Rate Both Saw Year-Over-Year Declines — Data released today by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals the extensive damage to 2018 ethanol demand that resulted from former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s egregious abuse of small refinery exemptions (SREs). Pruitt excused 48 refiners from

March 9, 2019 Read Full Article

3-D-Printed Live Cells Convert Glucose to Ethanol, Carbon Dioxide to Enhance Catalytic Efficiency

by Anne M Stark (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have 3-D printed live cells that convert glucose to ethanol and carbon dioxide gas (CO2), a substance that resembles beer, demonstrating a technology that can lead to high biocatalytic efficiency. Bioprinting living mammalian cells into complex 3-D scaffolds

March 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Department of Energy Announces $31 Million in Funding to Advance H2@Scale DEADLINE: April 8, 2019

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $31 million in funding to advance the H2@Scale concept. The focus of H2@Scale is to enable affordable and reliable large-scale hydrogen generation, transport, storage, and utilization in the United States across multiple sectors. “Hydrogen is an energy carrier

March 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Federal Agencies Release Framework for Advancing the Bioeconomy

(US Department of Agriculture) The federal Biomass Research and Development (BR&D) Board today unveiled a multi-agency strategy to accelerate innovative technologies that harness the nation’s biomass resources for affordable biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower. The Bioeconomy Initiative: Implementation Framework was developed by the B&RD Board – an interagency collaborative which is co-chaired by the

March 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Biowaste for Power and Fuels — the DOE Steps up in Key R&D Funding Opp

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today, the US Department of Energy took a bold step forward in wastes to biopower and gaseous fuels for medium and heavy-duty vehicles. It’s part of a major $51 million funding package for advanced vehicle technologies that also includes work on energy-efficient engines and fast-fueling for

March 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Department of Energy Announces $50 Million for Commercial Truck, Off-Road Vehicle, and Gaseous Fuels Research

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $51.5 million for new and innovative research of technologies for trucks, off-road vehicles, and the fuels that power them. Funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), this FOA addresses

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

News Release: NREL Pioneers Cleaner Route to Upcycle Plastics into Superior Products

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have discovered a method of plastics upcycling—transforming discarded products into new, high-value materials of better quality and environmental value—that could economically incentivize the recycling of waste plastics and help solve one of the world’s most

March 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Lighting the Way to Bioproducts: Smart Microbial Biosensors for Conversion Pathway Design

by Babetta (Babs) Marrone (Los Alamos National Laboratory) For several years, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) scientists have been taking advantage of the molecular tools that naturally reside within microbial cells. Although microbes use these tools to carry out their metabolism and other life-sustaining processes, scientists can use these tools to produce

February 28, 2019 Read Full Article

Research Uncovers Potential Sustainable Refining Method for Lignin

(Phys.Org/Texas A&M University) Lignin, used as a renewable resource to produce high-value products, has presented both production and economical challenges for biorefinery operations. However, a Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist suggests the use of an extraction method, plus other refining processes to produce multiple lignin streams. Dr. Joshua Yuan, chair of Synthetic

February 27, 2019 Read Full Article

New Tool Compares Costs and Benefits of Alternative Fuels and Vehicle Technologies.

(Argonne National Laboratory) Many fleet managers are looking at alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies to reduce their environmental footprint and save money. The AFLEET Tool, and its newly launched web-based version, AFLEET Online, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, can help fleets optimize their purchasing decisions to do exactly that.

February 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Harnessing Top Algae Strains for Bioenergy through Collaboration

(Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Wanted: Algae industry partners and academic researchers to help find the best algae strains for biofuels and bioproducts to reduce the cost of producing bioenergy from algae feedstocks. The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its partners in this effort are offering private and academic collaboration opportunities.

February 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Energy Department Announces Opening of Battery Recycling Center at Argonne National Lab

(U.S. Department of Energy) In celebration of National Battery Day on February 18th, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Daniel Simmons announced the opening of a Battery Recycling Center at Argonne National Laboratory. Aiming to reclaim and recycle critical materials (e.g., cobalt and lithium) from lithium-based battery technology,

February 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Firm Claims Breakthrough in Sustainable Diesel Production

(Envirotech Magazine) New technology could displace billions of litres of fossil fuel annually — A new technology that converts biogas into a high-grade liquid fuel that can be used as a direct replacement for fossil fuels is being showcased at Alliance Dairies in Florida on February 18, 2019. The process developed by

February 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Montana State University Algae Research Could Make Biofuel Production More Economical

by Anne James and Marshall Swearingen (KSEN) In an effort to improve the feasibility of a renewable energy source, Montana State University researchers are exploring a potential breakthrough in producing biofuel from algae. Backed by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the research team — which includes scientists

February 18, 2019 Read Full Article

One Fish Model Study Leads to Three Wins for the Environment

by Tim Theiss (Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Department of Energy) Over the past two years, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have been modeling to understand the costs and benefits of thinning forests and the potential for improving habitat, yielding benefits

February 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Fuel & Engine Co-Optimization: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) is working to address key questions like what fuels engines really want, what fuels work best and what will work in the real world. John Farrell from NREL gave this illuminating overview of their work thus far on answering those

February 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Commentary: Bring California’s Low-Carbon Wisdom to Washington, D.C.

by Andy Foster (Capital Press/Aemetis Inc.) … With the election behind us and new leadership in the House, it’s time to take another look at the IPCC warnings and examine bipartisan solutions that Congress can work toward — immediately. High on the list are biofuels, which offer low-cost energy without

February 6, 2019 Read Full Article

Want a Bipartisan Push on Climate Change? Start With Unleashing American Biofuels

by Jeff Cosman (Morning Consult/Attis Industries Inc.) … And in November, a letter from the Department of Energy, the EPA and the United States Department of Agriculture to Congress laid out a plan to encourage the use of efficient and carbon-neutral products made from woody biomass. In particular, it highlighted how

February 6, 2019 Read Full Article

NREL Seeks Participants for 2019 Executive Energy Leadership Program

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking applicants for its 2019 Executive Energy Leadership Program—otherwise known as Energy Execs. Energy Execs provides non-technical business, governmental, and community leaders throughout the country an opportunity to learn about advanced energy, energy-efficiency technologies, analytical tools,

February 5, 2019 Read Full Article

No Carbon Left Behind: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to LanzaTech

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTechhas over 20 years experience sourcing and supplying over 5 million tons of wood fiber and organic feedstock in markets across North America. They offer biomass feedstock supply and analytics to understand and minimize supply chain risk. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech gave this illuminating overview of

February 5, 2019 Read Full Article

Congress Retains Most Energy Programs in 2018 Farm Bill through Fiscal Year 2023

by Steve Hanson (U.S. Energy Information Administration) On December 20, 2018, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) was signed into law, continuing federal support to a number of renewable electricity and bioenergy-related programs. Authorizations in the 2018 Farm Bill cover fiscal years (FY) 2019 through 2023, during which time energy

February 3, 2019 Read Full Article

ARPA-E Projects to Develop Sensors for Bioenergy, Agriculture

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy recently awarded nearly $6 million to four projects under its OPEN+ program for the Sensors for Bioenergy and Agriculture cohort team. According to ARPA-E, the team will develop ultra-low energy distributed sensors to improve production efficiency

January 31, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Energy Outlook Report Underscores Need for Higher Ethanol Blends

(Growth Energy) Federal forecasts in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) newly released Annual Energy Outlook 2019 (AEO2019) underscore the importance of delivering cleaner, lower cost options to the fuel pump, said Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs at Growth Energy. “America’s thirst for clean, affordable fuel options is set

January 29, 2019 Read Full Article

ARPA-E Announces $11 Million for Fourth, Fifth OPEN+ Cohorts

Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $11 million in funding for 7 projects in the next two cohorts of the agency’s OPEN+ program: Energy-Water Technologies and Sensors for Bioenergy and Agriculture. Energy-Water cohort teams will develop new, energy-efficient processing technologies

January 21, 2019 Read Full Article

Algae: As Different from Each Other as They Are from You and Me

by Amanda Barry (U.S. Department of Energy) … In a recent project funded by the Advanced Algal Systems (AAS) Program, researchers from LANL and the New Mexico Consortium are exploring the biofuel candidate Chlorella sorokiniana, developing genetic engineering tools in order to introduce novel traits that would allow the algae to grow faster and accumulate

January 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Advancements in Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis Give Biofuels a Boost

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National laboratory researchers demonstrate improvements in bio-oil yield through catalyst and process development. — Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have identified an approach to improve the efficiency and reduce costs of biofuel production that moves

January 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Proposed Changes to EIA-819 Monthly Biofuels, Fuel Oxygenates, and Motor Gasoline Blending Components Report COMMENT DEADLINE: February 25, 2019

(U.S. Department of Energy) On December 27, 2018, a Federal Register Notice (FRN) was published announcing proposed survey changes to the Petroleum Supply Reporting System. These changes enhance collection and reporting of biofuels a number of ways: EIA-819 Monthly Oxygenate Report will be expanded to incorporate EIA-22M Monthly Biodiesel Production

January 9, 2019 Read Full Article

More Designer Peptides, More Possibilities

(U.S. Department of Energy) With their tiny scaffolds of atoms, peptides hold the promise of creating catalysts for biofuels, capturing hazardous waste, and delivering new therapies to improve health. While nature offers a few peptides with the perfect characteristics for such purposes, scientists have been attempting to design peptides more precisely.

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

The Unlikely, Eccentric Inventor Turning Inedible Plant Life into Fuel

by Lesley Stahl (60 Minutes/CBS News) Marshall Medoff unveils to 60 Minutes his innovative method of turning plant life into fuel and other useful products — … What (Craig)Masterman helped implement was Medoff’s novel idea of using these large blue machines called electron accelerators to break apart nature’s chokehold on the valuable

January 7, 2019 Read Full Article

Breaching the Biomass Problem: ORNL Team Provides Supercomputer-Aided Insights for How to Turn Plants into Fuel and Materials

by Jonathan Hines (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Humans have found uses for woody plants since time immemorial—tools, shelter, firewood. Today, scientists are working to add more major uses to the list: renewable, cost-competitive biofuel and value-added materials. Turning trees and waste biomass into liquid fuels and other bioproducts has long

December 27, 2018 Read Full Article

Catalysis Rocking: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to ChemCatBio

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ChemCatBio is a research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for biomass conversion processes. Led by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, we work with industry to rapidly transition R&D discoveries into commercial processes and grow the bioeconomy in the United

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

Enemy Submarine Detecting Microorganisms, Algae-Based Polymers, Edible Antimicrobial Film, Limestone-Based Bags, Soybean Oil Based Road Sealant: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of December 26th

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 26th. In today’s Digest, enemy submarine detecting microorganisms, algae-based polymers, edible antimicrobial film, limestone-based bags, soybean oil based road sealant — these and more,

December 26, 2018 Read Full Article

New Composite Advances Lignin as a Renewable 3D Printing Material

by Stephanie Seay (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a recipe for a renewable 3D printing feedstock that could spur a profitable new use for an intractable biorefinery byproduct: lignin. The discovery, detailed in Science Advances, expands ORNL’s achievements in lowering the cost of

December 24, 2018 Read Full Article

Grease. Gunk. Sludge. Where Most People See a Nasty Nuisance, These Scientists See Powerful Potential.

(U.S. Department of Energy) Join us on this episode as we wade into the world of bioenergy and learn about the folks working to turn noxious waste into useful energy. Then read on for more bioenergy stories and background from the Department of Energy and our 17 National Labs! WARNING: Unless you’ve got a cast-iron

December 21, 2018 Read Full Article

Grants Fund Research on Biofuel Production, Reduced Fertilizer Use

(University of Arkansas News) A University of Arkansas biologist working on research that could decrease the need for agricultural fertilizers and boost the production of biofuels recently received grants totaling more than $1 million from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Daniel Lessner, associate professor in the

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Greener Days Ahead for Carbon Fuels

by Theresa Duque (Berkeley Lab) Researchers discover copper has potential as a catalyst for turning carbon dioxide into sustainable chemicals and fuels without any wasteful byproducts, creating a green alternative to present-day chemical manufacturing — For decades, scientists have searched for effective ways to remove excess carbon dioxide emissions from the air,

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Exxon Mobil Secured U.S. Hardship Waiver from Biofuels Laws – Sources

by Humeyra Pamuk and Chris Prentice (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted oil major Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) a financial hardship waiver this year temporarily freeing its Montana refinery from U.S. biofuel laws, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Exxon, which reported earnings of almost $20 billion in

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

The BioIncredibles 2: iMicrobes Is Using Methane to Produce Chemicals, and Mikey the Microbe Likes It

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … The achievement of a major proof of concept is the news, in the case of Industrial Microbes — the ability to show that they can convert methane into multiple products (albeit at low efficiency, in these early days) in E. coli. We visited iMicrobes’ early

December 20, 2018 Read Full Article

Coming Changes in Marine Fuel Sulfur Limits Will Affect Global Oil Markets

(U.S. Energy Information Administration) International regulations limiting sulfur in fuels for ocean-going vessels, set to take effect in January 2020, have implications for vessel operators, refiners, and global oil markets. Stakeholders will respond to these regulations in different ways, increasing uncertainty for crude oil and petroleum product price formation in both

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

DOE Awards $1M to UMass Lowell-Led Team to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Wood Byproducts; Co-Optima Project

(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers led by a UMass Lowell mechanical engineering professor that is working to develop renewable fuel additives from sawdust and other wood byproducts. The project is part of the Department of Energy’s Co-Optima

December 19, 2018 Read Full Article

New SBIR and STTR Bioenergy Projects Announced! FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA) NUMBER: DE-FOA-0001941 DEADLINE: January 7, 2019

(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced 12 topics to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million as part of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research programs. Three topics announced deal directly with

December 18, 2018 Read Full Article

Kampachi Company Wins $3.3m Grant to Turn Seaweed into Food, Feed, Fuel

by Jason Huffman (Undercurrent News) The Kampachi Company may be best known for its recent efforts to grow “king kampachi”, aka kahala or almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana), in ocean-based cages, but it also is performing research with plans to make a play in the seaweed space. The Kona, Hawaii-based company has

December 17, 2018 Read Full Article

Energy Department Seeks Information on Algae, Biomass, and Waste Feedstock Research — DE-FOA-00002020 FY 2019 Bioenergy Technologies Multi-Topic RFI DEADLINE: extended to January 18, 2019

(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is requesting information on research opportunities related to outdoor algae research, biomass characteristics and feedstock performance, and renewable energy from urban and suburban wastes to help inform its research

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Biofuels for Marine Engines and Pathways to Success: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to BETO

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) focuses on several bioproducts for R&D and has been assessing the value proposition of biofuels for marine engines. Zia Haq and Jim Spaeth, both from the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, gave individual presentations at ABLC Global

December 14, 2018 Read Full Article

Congress Urged to Investigate Why DOE Is Sitting on $600 Million in Clean Energy Funding

(Natural Resources Defense Council) The Natural Resources Defense Council today urged Congress to investigate why the Department of Energy (DOE) still has not distributed as much as $600 million in congressionally approved clean energy research and development funding more than two months after the end of Fiscal Year 2018. Citing the

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

Year of the Tree, CORSIA Fuels, Mabus’ Remarks, a Breakthrough on Woody Biomass?: Heard on the Floor at the CAAFI General Meeting

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) When the world’s leaders for sustainable aviation fuels have a general meeting the week before the COP24 global climate sessions (this year in Poland), you can bet that the focus will be breaking the “You Can Have Two out of Three Conundrum” of aviation fuels. Which

December 13, 2018 Read Full Article

The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to ARPA-E’s Agro-Energy Programs

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. ARPA-E awardees are unique because they are developing entirely new ways to generate, store, and use energy. ARPA-E projects have the potential to radically improve U.S. economic

December 6, 2018 Read Full Article

NREL Industry Growth Forum & Emerging Markets Day — May 8-10, 2019 — Denver, CO DEADLINE: December 7, 2018

Each year, NREL’s Industry Growth Forum recruits the most innovative, emerging clean energy start-up companies from across the globe to present to its investor base. Applicants range from prototype-stage to commercially ready with a renewable energy or energy efficiency technology solution. Since 2003, the companies have collectively raised over $6.4