Energy – Advanced BioFuels USA

Can Farms Produce to the Max and Still Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

by Kristen Mally Dean (Argonne National Laboratory) Decarbonizing agriculture is critical for the U.S. to reach net zero emissions by 2050. A new data-driven approach looks at practices that are good for the earth and profitable for farmers. — The world relies on American farmers to do much more than

June 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods Calls for a Higher Price on Carbon

by Lindsey Jacobson (CNBC) Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods would like the U.S. government to help incentivize some of the clean energy innovations his company is developing, like biofuels and direct air capture of carbon dioxide. … Proposing a carbon tax has been a point of controversy for Exxon Mobil. Keith McCoy,

June 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Biofuel, Ag Groups Comment on SEC Climate Disclosures Rulemaking

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) … Growth Energy’s comments focused on the calculation of biofuel GHG emissions. “The proposed rule would require many public companies to calculate and disclose GHG emissions from throughout their entire supply chain and production cycle,” Growth Energy said in its comments. “How obligated parties calculate the GHG

June 26, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol vs. Petroleum-Based Fuel Carbon Emissions

by Valerie Sarisky-Reed (U.S. Department of Energy) Biofuels have been proven to emit significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum-based fuels, and recent scientific studies indicate that net-zero emission biofuels are not only possible, but achievable. Corn ethanol and other biofuels are essential in America’s transition to a clean energy economy

June 24, 2022 Read Full Article

Leaders Offer Policy, DOE Hydrogen Hub Updates at Inaugural California Hydrogen Leadership Summit

(Advanced Clean Tech News/GNA) Hydrogen is heating up as a policy topic, as evidenced by the project updates, new bills, and solutions offered by elected leaders, industry leaders, and the more than 350 attendees at the 2022 California Hydrogen Leadership Summit, which took place in Sacramento, California, in early June. The summit

June 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Rising Diesel Prices Could Lead Farmers to Bio Alternatives

by Connor Veenstra (Huron Daily Tribune) … However, an alternative exists for farmers, though it’s not widely used — biodiesel, made from plants and animals. According to Houston Biodiesel, it’s slightly cheaper than regular diesel, at $5.76 per gallon, as of June 16. However, it could turn into a long-term alternative

June 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Collins, Cantwell Introduce Carbon Removal Bill

by Manuel Quiñones (E&E News/Politico Pro) “Our bipartisan bill would spur research and development for carbon removal technologies, as well as accelerate the commercialization of innovative carbon removal solutions to help make them more affordable,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). — Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Washington Democratic Sen. Maria

June 20, 2022 Read Full Article

The Biofuel Folks Might Like a Word about Your Corn Stover

by Brian O’Connor (No-Till Farmer) … A study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production found that harvesting up to 30% of corn stover on a field for use in fuel products could increase revenues for growers and decrease the negative impact on the environment, while at the same time allowing some soil organic matter

June 20, 2022 Read Full Article

If EVs Don’t Cut CO2 Fast Enough, These Fuels Might Help:

(E&E News/Politico Pro) Researchers with DOE say gasoline might have to be substituted with biofuels to ensure that climate targets are achieved as electric vehicles slowly phase in. — The U.S. Department of Energy released the results of a six-year initiative that provides a national road map for alternative ways to

June 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Quantity in Search of Quality: Los Alamos National Laboratory Makes a Case for Improving Algae Genome Data

by Sheila Van Cuyk (U.S. Department of Energy) The potential for advancing algal biofuels and bioproducts relies on using algae strains that are best suited for industrial production. Genomic sequence data—the functional information in the DNA of a specific organism such as algae—can reveal the genes and regulatory mechanisms that control how

June 16, 2022 Read Full Article

FEW Speakers Focus on Carbon, New Market Opportunities

by Tom Bryan and Katie Schroeder (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Hundreds gathered for the main session of 38th International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo Tuesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as some of the biggest names in biofuels spoke at the largest ethanol conference in the world. Tom Bryan, president of conference host BBI

June 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Purdue Northwest Process to Turn Food Waste into Sustainable Hydrogen Is Licensed to Energy Company

(Purdue Northwest) The Purdue Research Foundation recently completed a licensing agreement with an international energy company for the commercialization of a new process discovered at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) for the biological production of hydrogen from food waste. A second licensing agreement with a company in Indiana is under negotiation. This

June 15, 2022 Read Full Article

On the Road to a Net-Zero-Carbon Transportation Future

(U.S. Department of Energy) America’s car, truck, and train wheels keep turning, while planes and boats take to the skies and oceans, releasing 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere every year. Breakthroughs from the U.S. Department of Energy Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative could make

June 14, 2022 Read Full Article

What a Year!: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Biofuel Markets

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) How did U.S. ethanol production and prices compare in 2022 so far to previous years? How about biodiesel, renewable diesel and renewable jet fuel? What’s the latest GHG analysis on ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel? How has anaerobic digesters helped with GHG mitigation? Find out

June 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries Funding Opportunity — June 15, 2022 — ONLINE

On June 15, 2022, at 3 p.m. ET, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) will host an informational webinar on the recently announced Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries funding opportunity. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provides up to $59 million to accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts to

June 8, 2022 Read Full Article

EPA Opens Comment Period on Proposed Consent Decree for 2023 RVOs DEADLINE: June 22, 2022

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA on May 23 opened a 30-day public comment period on a proposed consent decree related to a legal challenge filed against the agency by Growth Energy that would require the EPA to issue proposed 2023 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations (RVOs) by

June 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Cornstalks Might Power Planes with Low-Carbon Fuel

by John Fialka (E&E News) The Department of Energy and Southwest Airlines are teaming up to test the technologies needed to turn farm waste into jet fuel. A partnership between the Department of Energy, Southwest Airlines Co. and other companies is pioneering a process to make low-carbon jet fuel out

June 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Plastic Waste in America Could Help Power Transportation and Industry

(U.S. Department of Energy) With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) were able to calculate that America’s landfills hold nearly 44 million metric tons—or 97 billion pounds—of discarded plastic, a staggering amount of material that could be harnessed to create

June 2, 2022 Read Full Article

Senate Committee Members Question Goffman on RFS, SREs

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Joseph Goffman expressed support for the Renewable Fuel Standard and the use of biofuels during a May 25 hearing held by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to consider his nomination to serve as assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

June 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Southwest Airlines Invests in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Pilot Project Supported by the Department of Energy

(Southwest Airlines/PR Newswire) Carrier’s first-of-its-kind investment supports the development of technology intended to commercialize sustainable aviation fuel — Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) (“Southwest” or the “Company”) today announces an investment into SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC (SAFFiRE), a company formed by D3MAX, LLC (D3MAX), as part of a Department of Energy (DOE)-backed project

June 1, 2022 Read Full Article

New Artificial Enzyme Breaks Down Tough, Woody Lignin

(Science Daily/DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Study shows promise for developing a new renewable energy source — An innovative artificial enzyme has shown it can chew through woody lignin, an abundant carbon-based substance that stores tremendous potential for renewable energy and materials. A new artificial enzyme has shown it can chew

June 1, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Announces $59 Million to Expand Biofuels Production and Decarbonize Transportation Sector DEADLINE: July 8, 2022

(U.S. Department of Energy) Funding Will Reduce Emissions from Marine, Aviation, and other Hard-to-Decarbonize Sectors — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $59 million to accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors and create good-paying jobs in rural America. DOE is focused on

June 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Paving the Way to Increased Waste-to-Energy Production

(Lehigh University) … While recycling and composting have increased, the majority of the waste produced goes into landfills, the most inexpensive option. About 12 percent of MSW was converted into energy by waste-to-energy plants in 2018, according to the Energy Information Administration. “There are different ways to process trash,” says Carlos

May 31, 2022 Read Full Article

New Method Could Potentially Produce Hydrogen from Biogas for $2/kg

(Bioenergy Insight) California-based Kore has developed a new way to produce hydrogen from biogas. It claims the new method could potentially provide hydrogen for less than $2 per kg. “We produce biogas and biochar from biogenic feedstocks and the resulting biogas contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and carbon dioxide,” Kore’s executive vice

May 28, 2022 Read Full Article

RFA Calls on EPA to Remove Controversial Studies from Peer Reviewed Congressional Process

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, a recent, highly publicized report led by Tyler Lark of the University of Wisconsin attacking the Renewable Fuel Standard is “more problematic than what we initially evaluated to be the case,” according to a new review of the work by researchers from the Department of Energy’s Argonne

May 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Own SAF Runway

by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The world’s major airlines are racing to decarbonize air travel by backing and using sustainable aviation fuel. Much of it is now being produced via plant-based oils in tandem with renewable diesel. Soon, it may also come from ethanol. — … Speaking to the

May 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy, EPA Reach Settlement on Deadline for Issuing 2023 RVO

(Growth Energy) Following settlement discussions with Growth Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to file a notice in the Federal Register on Monday seeking comment on a proposed judicial consent decree that would require EPA to propose the 2023 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) by no later than September 16, 2022

May 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Energy Secretary Says Administration Is “All-In” on Renewable Fuels

by Meghan Grebner (Brownfield Ag News) … From increasing access to E-15 to releasing oil from the strategic reserve, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says President Biden is accelerating efforts to lower fuel prices. “Nobody wants to be under the thumb of a petro-dictator like Vladimir Putin,” she says. “We clean,

May 20, 2022 Read Full Article

Biden Administration Launches $3.5 Billion Program to Capture Carbon Pollution from the Air

(U.S. Department of Energy) DOE Announces Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Effort to Establish Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs for Large-Scale CO2 Removal — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to fund the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $3.5 billion program to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2)

May 19, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Announces Nearly $25 Million to Study Advanced Clean Hydrogen Technologies for Electricity Generation

(U.S. Department of Energy) Industry-led R&D Projects Will Develop Technologies for More Efficient Hydrogen Turbines and Production with CO2 Capture and Storage — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $24.9 million in funding for six research and development projects to support the advancement of clean hydrogen for electricity generation.

May 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Bioenergy Technologies Office State of Technology—2020 Research and Development Status

(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) funds research and development (R&D) on technologies necessary for the deployment and production of cost- competitive bioenergy, primarily biofuels. Results of experimental efforts are periodically compiled and compared with benchmark technology designs to assess overall progress. This

May 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Funding Notice: Foundational Agrivoltaic Research for Megawatt Scale (FARMS) DEADLINE: June 1, 2022

(U.S. Department of Energy) On May 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) announced the Foundational Agrivoltaic Research for Megawatt Scale (FARMS) funding opportunity, which will award $8 million in funding for projects that examine how agrivoltaics can scale up to provide new economic

May 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Startups Ask Congress to Fund (more) Carbon Removal R&D

(Carbon 180) Carbon removal startups working across tech and agriculture have penned two letters calling for the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to increase support for both geologic storage (the final resting place for carbon collected via direct air capture and BECCS) and agricultural soil carbon. The variety of signatories paints a picture

May 17, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Releases Notice of Intent for 2022 Advanced Vehicle Technologies Funding

(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced a notice of intent to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Fiscal Year 2022 Vehicle Technologies Office Program Wide FOA.” (DE-FOA-0002718) The potential FOA will advance research, development, demonstration, and deployment in several

May 16, 2022 Read Full Article

A Fuel Switch for Future Farms

by John Blum (Marquette University) A new combustion system for engines allows heavy-duty farm equipment normally powered by diesel fuel to run on gasoline and ethanol, without sacrificing performance. — Having grown up working on his uncle’s farm and in his father’s concrete business in northern Illinois, Dr. Adam Dempsey

May 16, 2022 Read Full Article

Accelerating Bioenergy: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Department of Energy’s EERE

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Michael Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation at the Department of Energy shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC on what the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)’s goal is with bioenergy, biomass in sustainable transportation including sustainable aviation fuel, and more. READ

May 13, 2022 Read Full Article

Oil Refineries Continue Attacks on the RFS While Enjoying Record Profit Margins

by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) If you watched the Sunday morning talk shows last weekend, you might have noticed a new advertisement (paid for by oil refiners) that attacks the Renewable Fuel Standard. The ad notes that consumers are paying record-high prices at the pump (something that has nothing to do with

May 13, 2022 Read Full Article

NREL Senior Research Fellow Honored for International Leadership and Innovation in Energy Chemistry

by Cassandra Sulmeisters (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Senior Research Fellow Bob McCormick was recently recognized with one of the highest honors by the American Chemical Society (ACS): the Henry H. Storch Award in Energy Chemistry for his research on alternative and low-carbon fuels, including the chemistry

May 9, 2022 Read Full Article

News Release: NREL Scientists Advance Renewable Hydrogen Production Method

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Perovskite materials may hold the potential to play an important role in a process to produce hydrogen in a renewable manner, according to an analysis from scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Hydrogen has emerged as an important carrier to store energy generated by renewable

May 9, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Biggest Problem Is PR

(News Press Now) Normally, any move to increase the supply of renewable fuel should draw widespread praise. Even more so if this measure saves the average consumer $9 a month and reduces dependency on oil exports that finance Russia’s war of brutality in Ukraine. But that’s not the case with

May 9, 2022 Read Full Article

CO2 Pipelines Are Coming. A Pipeline Safety Expert Says We’re Not Ready.

by Emily Pontecorvo (Grist) Companies want to build pipelines to capture and store carbon, but a new report warns that regulators aren’t prepared. — … But as the number of pipeline proposals multiplies, a new report commissioned by the Pipeline Safety Trust, a nonprofit advocacy group, warns that CO2 pipeline regulations aren’t

May 6, 2022 Read Full Article

Carbon Negative Shot Summit — July 20-21, 2022 — TBD

To advance the development of the emerging and necessary carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry, DOE launched Carbon Negative Shot at COP26, the third target within the Energy Earthshots Initiative. Carbon Negative Shot is the U.S. government’s first major effort in CDR and is an all-hands-on-deck call for innovation in technologies and

May 6, 2022 Read Full Article

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $2.3 Billion Investment to Cut U.S. Carbon Pollution

(U.S. Department of Energy) DOE Launches $2.25B Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Effort to Increase CO2 Storage Sites, Provides Additional $91M to Advance Carbon Management Approaches, Building Next Generation Industries — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (May 5, 2022) announced more than $2.3 billion for three efforts to advance diverse

May 6, 2022 Read Full Article

Monetizing Net-Zero and Net-Negative GHG Ethanol

by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol) Climate-smart farming practices, efficiencies at ethanol plants, and the capture and sequestration of biogenic CO2 from facilities puts ethanol on a trajectory to reach both net-zero and net-negative emissions, a trajectory that is unique to ethanol. … (D)uring its final meeting of 2021,

May 5, 2022 Read Full Article

Plug Supplies Walmart with Green Hydrogen to Power Lift Fleet

by David Worford (Environment + Energy Leader) Walmart will get up to 20 tons of liquid green hydrogen a day as part of an agreement with Plug Power to help power the retailer’s lift trucks at its distribution centers across the United States. Plug will deliver green hydrogen using a fleet

May 4, 2022 Read Full Article

Opinion: Ethanol Helps Cut Toxic Emissions

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Post) Americans should be thanking President Biden for allowing the continued sale of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 this summer (letters, “No more ethanol in gas,” April 22). E15 is saving drivers as much as 30 cents per gallon, cutting the typical U.S. household’s annual fuel bill by

May 4, 2022 Read Full Article

The “Green Crude” SAF Alternative: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Alder Fuels

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Alder Fuels’ Chief Technology Officer, Derek Vardon, shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC highlighting how they are seeing a future of gathering energy instead of drilling for it and how the solution for sustainable fuel is a load of rubbish – literally forest

May 2, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Unveils $500M Loan for Massive ‘Clean Hydrogen’ Project

by David Iaconangelo (E&E News) The Energy Department’s loan office announced yesterday that it intends to issue a half-billion-dollar guarantee to what it called a “first-of-its-kind” hydrogen project. The $504 million for a Utah project is the third loan guarantee from the Biden administration, which has struggled to get its climate

April 27, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Holds EPA to RVO Deadline of June 3rd

(Growth Energy) The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today (April 25, 2022) approved a consent decree agreement between Growth Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that requires EPA to finalize its 2020-2022 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) by no later than June 3rd. The consent decree follows

April 27, 2022 Read Full Article

15 AlgaePrize Teams Advance as Finalists

(U.S. Department of Energy) 15 teams are advancing as finalists in the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) 2022–2023 AlgaePrize competition. Finalist teams were selected based on their 10-page research synopsis which described each team’s research plan for their proposed project within the AlgaePrize’s areas of interest. Each team’s research

April 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Rural Partners Network Launched: Empowering Rural Communities to Access Federal Resources

(U.S. Department of Energy) The Rural Partners Network is a new collaboration to strengthen the link between federal agencies and rural communities. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is proud to join this effort to help create jobs, build infrastructure, and ensure that federal resources benefit rural America. DOE

April 23, 2022 Read Full Article

Sweet Sugarcane Solution: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to California Ethanol + Power

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here’s a short but sweet look at California Ethanol + Power and their Sugar Valley Energy site of sugarcane feedstock for ethanol production. In today’s Digest, from their sugarcane yields, carbon intensity, acreage, infrastructure, market, jobs, and more. READ MORE CE+P Invited to Submit Part II

April 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Co-Processing Cooperation: National Labs Working Together to Create Clean Energy Fuels

(U.S. Department of Energy) Since 2018, a multi-laboratory consortium, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and guided by an industrial advisory board, has focused on adding co-processing of bio-oils into existing refinery units with petroleum feedstocks to produce sustainable transportation fuels. Together, this consortium addresses the most critical

April 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Illinois Tech Researchers Awarded Grant to Scale Up Innovative Carbon Capture and Conversion Process at the Source

(Illinois Institute of Technology) A team of Illinois Institute of Technology researchers received a grant from ARPA-E to scale up an innovative process of carbon capture and conversion directly from exhaust gas sources such as power plants and industrial sites — Illinois Institute of Technology Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Mohammad

April 21, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Biomethane Vehicle Projects Grow 85% in Two Years, Says Argonne

(Argonne National Laboratory) Made from organic waste, renewable natural gas is rapidly gaining ground as an alternative fuel source with the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Public and private interest in this low-carbon fuel has grown dramatically in recent years, said Marianne Mintz, principal transportation systems analyst at

April 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol under Attack and Creating Strange Bedfellows

by Damian Mason (The Business of Agriculture) In February of 2022 a “study” caught wide media attention (as it was designed by its sponsors to specifically do). The study, commissioned by National Wildlife Fund, found that corn ethanol is worse for the environment than fuel derived from oil. Groups ranging

April 19, 2022 Read Full Article

JetBlue among Airlines Giving New Life to Sustainable Biofuel

by Tina Casey (Triple Pundit) The global economy will need liquid fuel for many years to come. That is especially true of the airline industry, which continues to face significant challenges along the road to electrification. What’s wrong with electric airplanes? Electric mobility has made remarkable progress over the past 10

April 18, 2022 Read Full Article

Global Food Crisis Coming and Changes to GHG Modeling for Biofuels

(KIT) …Two Senate Ag Committee members recently urged the EPA to update its greenhouse gas modeling for biofuels. Senators John Thune, of South Dakota, and Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, asked the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation, or GREET model. The lawmakers

April 16, 2022 Read Full Article

Workshop: Bioenergy’s Role in Soil Carbon Storage

(U.S. Department of Energy) What is the role of bioenergy in soil carbon storage? Bioenergy provides a powerful way to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase carbon storage in soils, and produce sustainable biomass feedstocks. On March 28–29, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

April 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Gen-1 Ethanol Opportunities: Improving Life Cycle GHG Benefits of Existing Biofuel Production Workshop

(U.S. Department of Energy) On February 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the Gen-1 Ethanol Opportunities: Improving Life Cycle GHG Benefits of Existing Biofuel Production Virtual Workshop. The workshop was designed to gather stakeholder input to assess the potential of current and developing technologies to meet BETO

April 15, 2022 Read Full Article

Calculating the Costs of Multiple Switchgrass Gene Copies

(Department of Energy/Joint Genome Institute) A collaborative team led by researchers at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (HudsonAlpha), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute (JGI), a DOE Office of Science User Facility, has discovered that the candidate bioenergy feedstock switchgrass

April 14, 2022 Read Full Article

Kickstarting aGlobal Advanced Bioeconomy: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to the BioFuture Campaign of the Clean Energy Minsterial

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biofuture’s Gerard Ostheimer gave this presentation at ABLC 2022 in Washington, DC examining government-owned initiatives and campaigns to exchange knowledge and insights, build networks and partnerships and facilitate coordinated actions in the bioeconomy. In today’s Digest, the member countries, the upcoming meetings, the initiatives, the campaigns

April 14, 2022 Read Full Article

2022 Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the Ministerial for Mission Innovation (MI) — September 22-23, 2022 — Pittsburgh, PA

(U. S. Department of Energy) Ministerials Will Focus on Implementation Efforts to Achieve COP26 Commitments — The U.S. Department of Energy … announced Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the host city for the 2022 Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the ministerial for Mission Innovation (MI). The announcement was made at the United Nations

April 14, 2022 Read Full Article

The Case for Federal Procurement of Carbon Removal

by Erin Burns (Carbon 180) Our vision for legacy emissions involves the world’s largest customer –There is unprecedented action on carbon removal in the US today. The bipartisan infrastructure deal of 2021 included billions of dollars for direct air capture (DAC) and forestry. The Biden Administration has reoriented existing agency efforts around

April 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Catalyst Design to Direct High-Octane Gasoline Fuel Properties for Improved Engine Efficiency

Connor P.Nash, Daniel P.Dupuis, AnuragKumar, Carrie A.Farberow, Anh T.To, CeYang, Evan C.Wegener, Jeffrey T.Miller, Kinga A.Unocic, EarlChristensen, Jesse E.Hensley, Joshua A.Schaidle, Susan E.Habas, Daniel A.Ruddy (Applied Catalysis B: Environmental) Paraffin-to-olefin ratio (P/O) affects the principal gasoline fuel properties. Cu-Zn/BEA catalyst yielded a lower P/O ratio gasoline product than benchmark Cu/BEA. Lower

April 11, 2022 Read Full Article

ChemCatBio Director Presents at ABLC 2022

(U.S. Department of Energy) Director Josh Schaidle gave a presentation on ChemCatBio during the “Catalyst and Catalytic Upgrading” panel of the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) 2022 summit, which was held March 16–18 in Washington, D.C. View Director Schaidle’s presentation for an overview of the consortium, avenues for partnership, and

April 11, 2022 Read Full Article

BETO Accepting Applications for Funding Opportunity on “Robust Catalytic Processes” DEADLINE: April 18, 2022

(U.S. Department of Energy) Catalytic processes for the conversion of biomass and waste resources to sustainable aviation fuel, renewable diesel, and marine fuel is a primary topic area in BETO’s 2022 Waste Feedstocks and Conversion R&D funding opportunity announcement. BETO encourages applicants to collaborate with ChemCatBio, and concept papers are

April 11, 2022 Read Full Article

Webinar: Agile BioFoundry Bioproduct Project Overview — April 29, 2022 — ONLINE

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Agile BioFoundry (ABF) consortium and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU) will host a webinar on biomanufacturing research utilizing host organisms. The webinar, titled “Agile Biofoundry Bioproduct Project Overview” will be held on April 29, 2022, from 2–4 p.m. ET,

April 11, 2022 Read Full Article

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Production, Use of Renewable Diesel, Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(Green Car Congress) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John Barrasso (R-WY) led their colleagues in introducing the Renewable Diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel Parity Act of 2022. The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Steve Daines (R-MO). The bill would require the Department of Energy to track

April 11, 2022 Read Full Article

House Committee Holds Hearing on Bioenergy RD&D for the Fuels and Chemicals of Tomorrow

(Bergeson & Campbell) On March 16, 2022, the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on “Bioenergy Research and Development for the Fuels and Chemicals of Tomorrow.” According to the hearing charter, the purpose of the hearing was to examine the status of bioenergy research, development, and demonstration

April 8, 2022 Read Full Article

It’s Time to Harness Full Range of Economic, National and Energy Security, Public Health and Environmental Solutions Renewable Fuels Can Provide

(Solutions from the Land) … Unfortunately, he has ignored a widely available, less expensive source of clean transportation fuel – biofuels, like ethanol – that could help ease those prices and supply concerns. Russian oil represents only 2 percent of all U.S. oil imports, but that same amount is a more

April 7, 2022 Read Full Article

Thune, Klobuchar Urge EPA to Update Biofuel Emissions Modeling

(KLGR) Two Senate Ag Committee members recently urged the Environmental Protection Agency to update its greenhouse gas modeling for biofuels. Senators John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, asked the EPA to adopt the Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation,

April 7, 2022 Read Full Article

A Word about Diesel Fuel Prices: HIGH — Reducing the Impact of Higher Diesel Fuel Prices Is Possible

(Diesel Technology Forum) … Also using more biodiesel fuels can help offset the higher costs of petroleum diesel. Biodiesel fuels (B20) were running about 20 cents less per gallon than petroleum diesel, according to the latest information from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. READ MORE TIPS ON

April 5, 2022 Read Full Article

Not Your Average SOS: Research Methods to Respond to and Prevent Algae Crop Collapse

by Daniel B. Fishman and Anne Otwell (U.S. Department of Energy) National laboratories discover the telltale signs of algae distress to target effective treatments and mitigate crop collapse. — Algae are an exciting renewable feedstock for the future of sustainable fuels and products. One particularly interesting application, which the U.S.

April 1, 2022 Read Full Article

Bioconversion of Algae Proteins & Carbs: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Sandia National Lab’s Algae Work

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you want to know what is being done to overcome current limitations for conversion of algae biomass to fuels and bioproducts by efficient utilization of proteins and carbohydrates, which are the dominant components of algae biomass at high growth rate and more, check out

April 1, 2022 Read Full Article

New Perspective Highlights Promise of Hybrid Approach for Cellulosic Biofuel Production

by S. Heather Duncan (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Scientists with the Center for Bioenergy Innovation at ORNL highlighted a hybrid approach that uses microbes and catalysis to convert cellulosic biomass into fuels suitable for aviation and other difficult-to-electrify sectors. — The rapid pace of global climate change has added urgency to

March 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Separation Innovations & Tech: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioprocessing Separations Consortium

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 50-70% of bioprocessing costs are associated with separations, so there is a need to raise technical maturity of separations for biomass-derived intermediate and product streams while reducing costs and addressing the major separation challenges. So what is the U.S. DOE BETO Bioprocessing Separations Consortium doing

March 31, 2022 Read Full Article

Artificial Photosynthesis: The Ultimate Renewable Tech

(Bio Market Insights) Around 3.5 billion years ago, plants became able to turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into energy. Researchers in the field of artificial photosynthesis are figuring out how humans could do the same. Plant photosynthesis consists of three steps. First, sunlight is harvested. Second, this sunlight is converted into

March 30, 2022 Read Full Article

Argonne Researcher Tests New Approach to Lighten the Carbon Footprint of Locomotives

by Kristen Mally Dean (Argonne National Laboratory) Using hydrous ethanol as a dual fuel in internal combustion engines may help reduce greenhouse gases in the rail industry. — … Essam El-Hannouny, a principal mechanical engineer at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, won a Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) Award

March 30, 2022 Read Full Article

AECOM Enters Strategic Partnership with Genifuel to Transform Algae and Wastewater Biosolids into Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(AECOM) AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, today announced it has signed a strategic agreement with Genifuel Corporation to scale production of carbon neutral sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and biogas from wild algae and biosolids. The partnership employs a patent-pending process developed by AECOM to harvest wild algae and a

March 25, 2022 Read Full Article

New Bioprocesses for Lignin Valorization: The Digest’s 2022 Multi-Slide Guide to NREL’s Biological Lignin Work

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NREL is focusing on commodity productswith sufficient market sizes to aid biofuels production (e.g., adipic acid), working with Lignin Util. & SepConfor lignin substrates, and developing innovative biocatalysts and bioprocesses for lignin valorization. Get all the latest on their progress and research outcomes so far

March 25, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE BETO FY22 Waste Feedstock and Conversion Funding Opportunity Informational Webinar — March 31, 2022 — ONLINE

On March 22, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced a new $34.5 million funding opportunity to improve the current science and infrastructure for converting waste streams, often disproportionately located in underserved communities, into valuable biofuels and bioproducts that can benefit the local energy economy.

March 25, 2022 Read Full Article

Greener Biofuel Production Beckons

(Chemical Processing) Novel electrocatalyst-based system operates at mild conditions and produces hydrogen — A research team at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, Wash., has developed a patent-pending system that uses a flow cell bioreactor to turn carbon previously considered unrecoverable from so-called biocrude (aqueous waste streams) into valuable

March 24, 2022 Read Full Article

EIA Projects U.S. Renewable Diesel Supply to Surpass Biodiesel in AEO2022

by Estella Shi, Will Sommer, Andrew Smiddy (U.S. Energy Information Administration) In our Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022) Reference case, which reflects current laws and regulations, we project that renewable diesel supply (domestic production and net imports) will exceed biodiesel supply in the near term. We project that renewable diesel supply will increase to

March 24, 2022 Read Full Article

Department of Energy Announces $34.5 Million for Improved Bioenergy Resource Recovery and Conversion Systems DEADLINE April 18, 2022

(U.S. Department of Energy) New funding opportunity helps underserved communities turn waste into a resource for a clean and equitable energy economy — Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new $34.5 million funding opportunity to improve the current science and infrastructure for converting waste streams, often disproportionately located

March 22, 2022 Read Full Article

Comments on “Environmental Outcomes of the US Renewable Fuel Standard”

by F. Taheripour, S. Mueller, H. Kwon, M. Khanna, I. Emery, K. Copenhaver, M. Wang (Argonne National Laboratory) The Systems Assessment Center and its collaborators provide a detailed technical review of a recently published article “Environmental Outcomes of the US Renewable Fuel Standard” by Lark et al. (2022). Our review

March 22, 2022 Read Full Article

The Comment that Silenced the Crowd: Heard on the Floor at ABLC 2022

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Topsoe’s Mikala Grubb stepped in. “What we have is a solids to liquids conversion problem.” The room went quiet, quiet like a church. “750 delegates negotiating in a small hotel but you can hear a watch ticking,” that silence. What she was describing was the

March 22, 2022 Read Full Article

In Search of a Later Biomass Expiration Date

by Nichole Fitzgerald (U.S. Department of Energy) How Idaho National Laboratory’s Dr. Lynn Wendt has come to understand and mitigate the detrimental impacts of biomass decay after harvest. — Renewable biomass is one of the key clean energy resources that will help manifest a low-carbon future. However, the process of developing

March 21, 2022 Read Full Article

ETHANOL Outlook Sunny; Try Again

by Geogg Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Minneapolis Star Tribune) Contrary to the assertions of the March 13 article “Ethanol’s emissions clouding its benefits,” ethanol’s environmental benefits are as clear as the blue sky on a cloudless, sunny day. While the article correctly mentions that ethanol’s carbon footprint continues to shrink, the reporters unfortunately omit

March 21, 2022 Read Full Article

Bioenergy Research and Development for the Fuels and Chemicals of Tomorrow

(Bergeson & Campbell) On March 16, 2022, the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing on “Bioenergy Research and Development for the Fuels and Chemicals of Tomorrow.” According to the hearing charter, the purpose of the hearing was to examine the status of bioenergy research, development, and

March 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Biofuels Leaders Agree Robust, Consistent Policy Needs to Support Decarbonization Goals

by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News) Leaders from the biofuels industry say the dialog between biofuels and refining communities is changing as efforts increase to decarbonize the economy. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor says the U.S. simply cannot achieve its climate goals without biofuels. “The latest government projection is that 79

March 19, 2022 Read Full Article

Argonne Pioneers New Processes to Create Materials for Batteries, Biofuels

(Newswise/Argonne National Laboratory) New chemical separations enable battery recycling, biodiesel — When recycling cans and bottles, at some point it becomes necessary to separate out plastic from metal. When recycling car batteries, getting out the most valuable metals also requires a separation, but this time it entails a specific kind of chemical

March 19, 2022 Read Full Article

ABLC 2022 – State of the Industry

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ABLC’s theme of “Dawn of Net Zero” and hundreds of delegates from organizations all over the world grappling with the immense opportunities and supply chain challenges posed by the world’s rapid turn towards charting a path toward a post-fossil society. After hearing from leaders

March 17, 2022 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Calls on DOE to Set the Record Straight on Anti-Ethanol Study

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor sent a letter to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm calling on the department to address the most recent inaccurate and misleading study by Tyler Lark and others that claims to have been partially funded by the department. The study directly contradicts conclusions from

March 16, 2022 Read Full Article

Beyond Corn: Panel Mulls Future of Bio-Based Fuels, Chemicals

by Mark Heller (E&E Daily) The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing this week on bioenergy. — The House Science, Space and Technology Committee this week will peek into the future of biofuels — a future that’s about more than turning corn into ethanol. The panel will

March 14, 2022 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Industry Banks on Carbon Capture to Solve Emissions Problem

by Leah Douglas (Reuters/Investing.com) U.S. ethanol producers are betting heavily on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to lower their greenhouse gas emissions and secure a place for the corn-based fuel in a climate-friendly future, according to industry groups and executives. But the plan is risky: The nascent CCS industry has been

March 13, 2022 Read Full Article

UNT BioDiscovery Institute Is One Step Closer to Sustainable Plant-Based Fuel

by Amy Brundeen (University of North Texas) … Helping plants produce C-lignin could lead to crops that are useful for creating an economically feasible plant-based jet fuel, among other applications. The latest findings from (Richrd) Dixon’s lab at UNT’s BioDiscovery Institute, published in the journal Science Advances, could help plant scientists get

March 12, 2022 Read Full Article

Hydrogen Trucks Get a Boost

by Matthew Choi (Politico’s Morning Energy) Lawmakers in both parties and chambers hope to reduce heavy trucking emissions, and they view hydrogen as just the ticket to make that happen. Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), as well as Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), are introducing the Hydrogen for Trucks Act today in a

March 10, 2022 Read Full Article

Disclosure of Information Claimed as, or Determined by EPA To Be, Confidential Business Information (CBI) in Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Small Refinery Exemption Petitions and Certain RFS Compliance Reports

( Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of disclosure to all obligated parties under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that have petitioned for a small refinery exemption (SRE) or that have submitted any of the following RFS compliance reports: RFS2500 Efficient Producer Data

March 10, 2022 Read Full Article

Ethanol Can Help Reduce Toxic Gasoline Aromatics

by Savannah Bertrand (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Every gallon of gasoline sold in the United States contains toxic chemicals called aromatic hydrocarbons—mainly mixtures of BTEX chemicals, which stands for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene—that increase octane. Higher octane levels prevent engines from prematurely combusting, or knocking, which can damage the engine and make

March 9, 2022 Read Full Article

DOE Publishes Report on CCS Supply Chain Risk

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report released by the U.S. Department of Energy in February found that the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology poses no significant supply chain risk and will support the U.S. government in achieving its net-zero goals. In addition, the long-term application of