(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced its intent to issue three sustainable transportation technologies funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) in Spring 2021. These potential funding opportunities seek innovative research, development,
(U.S. Department of Energy) Removing CO2 from the Atmosphere will Help America Achieve Net-Zero Emissions, Create Jobs -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (March 5, 2021) announced up to $24 million for research into technology that captures carbon emissions
by Iacovos Vasalos (Center for Research and Technology-Hellas/Biofuels Digest) This report summarizes highlights from the ABLC 2020 Biofuels Digest Virtual Conference, which took place in July 7-10, 2020. (And if you haven’t already registered for this year’s ABLC Digital on May 3-7,
by Karl Plume and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters / NASDAQ) The U.S. departments of agriculture and energy plan to change two closely watched monthly reports to account for the rapid growth of renewable diesel, a clean burning fuel made from soy and
(Clean Fuels Development Coalition) The Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) today applauded the work of the State of Nebraska following the release of a report that found higher ethanol blends are safe, efficient, and cost effective when used in conventional vehicles. The
by Casey Knopik (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) New facility will foster research collaborations to accelerate scientific discovery and technological innovation -- A new research facility on the Richland campus of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is set to open fall 2021. The Energy Sciences
by Gary Polakovic (USC News) Using a “kelp elevator,” researchers at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies were able to grow the biofuel crop in large quantities in the open ocean. ... Scientists at the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Santa Catalina
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today we look at paths to leverage your next project using USDA programs and funds, with former acting USDA Undersecretary Bill Hagy, No Project will be Left Behind! Check out this illuminating slide guide covering
by Will Englund (Washington Post) ... Will Englund: This country is going to have more electric cars and trucks, and by 2035, it won’t be universal, but it is happening quickly. What is the oil sector in America going to look like when
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A foundational study conducted by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows for the first time that white-rot fungi are able to use carbon captured from lignin as a carbon source. The research confirms a hypothesis
by Amy Lupica (Our Daily Planet) Yesterday, the Senate voted to confirm former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as Secretary of Energy. Granholm, who has positive relationships with both Democrats and Republicans, has committed to implementing science-based policy as part of President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan. In
by Steven Ashby (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/Phys.Org) When we eat, our bodies convert food into energy that fuels our lives. But what happens to the energy stored in the 80 billion pounds of food thrown away annually in America? As part
by Sean Hill (U.S. Energy Information Administration) The prices of renewable identification number (RIN) credits—the compliance mechanisms used for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—have been steadily rising in recent months and
by Bill Hagy (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./ Biofuels Digest) ... One of President Biden’s Clean Energy initiatives includes partnering with farmers, ranchers and businesses engaged in livestock production to implement environmentally sound agriculture practices and deploy methane digesters that generate new sources of
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) From Passenger Cars to Commercial Trucks, Aircraft, Marine, Rail, and Mobility Systems, NREL’s Whole-System Approach Ensures a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Climate Future -- The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the
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(White House) White House Forms Climate Innovation Working Group, Outlines Innovation Agenda; U.S. Department of Energy Announces $100 Million Climate Innovation Research Opportunity -- ... As the opportunity for American leadership in climate innovation is vast, the Administration is outlining key planks
(U.S. Deprtment of Energy) The Advancing the Bioeconomy: From Waste to Conversion-Ready Feedstocks Workshop, coordinated by the Bioenergy Technologies Office, gathered experts in the fields of waste management, solid materials handling, and biofuel and bioproduct development and production to give
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) Research solves longstanding problem and opens path for growing crops to produce industrially important high-value fatty acids -- Hundreds of naturally occurring specialty fatty acids (building blocks of oils) have potential for use as raw materials for making
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Researchers developing renewable plastics and exploring new processes for plastics upcycling and recycling technologies will now be able to easily baseline their efforts to current manufacturing practices to understand if their efforts will save energy and reduce
(LanzaTech/LanzaJet) British Airways is investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology provider and SAF producer LanzaJet as the company builds its first commercial scale plant in Georgia, USA •British Airways will purchase SAF from LanzaJet’s US plant to power a number of
(U.S. Department of Energy) The United States will likely take years to return to 2019 levels of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions following the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. economy and global energy sector, according to projections in
(Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office funded researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to address a significant challenge
What does an ideal biomass deconstruction process need? Find out in this illuminating slide guide from Xiaowen Chen, Senior Chemical Engineer in the Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-up Center at National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Also take a peek into NREL’s
by Chris Edwards (Engineering and Technology) Renewables may actually keep carbon fuels going for decades to come, but a new group of energy-rich countries will emerge. -- ... The question is what these new vehicles will use instead. For
(Algae Biomass Organization) Federal support for advanced algae R&D is on a solid foundation for 2021 with the recent passage of an omnibus appropriations bill that was included in last year’s COVID-19 relief legislation. These funds extend a long-standing tradition
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is hosting the 2021 Project Peer Review on March 8-16, 2021 and March 22-26, 2021 that will be held virtually on Zoom. Approximately 300 projects in BETO’s research, development, and demonstration portfolio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy released the Plastics Innovation Challenge Draft Roadmap and a Request for Information seeking stakeholder input on the Draft Roadmap. Originally announced in November 2019, the Plastics Innovation Challenge is a
Join the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) for an informational webinar highlighting the computational modeling work occurring within the consortium. Two FCIC researchers will discuss computational modeling approaches to predict the behavior of biomass feedstocks. Dr. Yidong Xia from Idaho National
by Brad Plumer (New York Times) GM’s decision this week to phase out gasoline vehicles is the latest in a major shift that will mean drastic new demands on electric utilities. Here are four things that will need to happen. ... Generate
by Tammy Klein (Transport Energy Strategies) Renewable electricity generation and storage requires huge quantities of mined raw materials. In Europe, most of these elements are currently imported and unsustainably produced. So the European Commission has hatched a new plan for obtaining them
(Department of Energy/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/EurekAlert) ... Identifying and breeding varieties that have high productivity across a range of environments is becoming increasingly important for food, fuel and other applications, and breeders aren't interested in waiting decades to develop new
(Department of Energy) U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) announced plans to make $8 million in Federal funding available for cost-shared research, development, and testing of technologies that can utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) from power systems or
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Researchers developing renewable plastics and exploring new processes for plastics upcycling and recycling technologies will now be able to easily baseline their efforts to current manufacturing practices to understand if their efforts will save energy and reduce
by Tammy Klein (Transport Energy Strategies) Thanks to all of you who attended the recent webinar with Dr. David Babson, Program Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). The title of his talk was “Changing what’s possible for a sustainable future,”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mark Brodziski, Deputy Administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC 2020 about how the USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service offers programs to support rural business growth across markets in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who are the key bioeconomy players in the new Biden Administration? What recent moves by the outgoing Trump Administration and Congress will set their budget and regulatory framework for 2021. What will the new Administration
(Bergeson & Campbell) On December 28, 2020, the House overrode President Trump’s veto and passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) by a vote of 322 to 87, and the Senate passed the bill on January 1, 2021,
(U.S. Department of Energy) In January, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the Plastics Innovation Challenge Draft Roadmap and a Request for Information (RFI) seeking stakeholder input on the Draft Roadmap. Announced in November 2019, the Plastics Innovation
by Sara Wyant (Ag Week) The biofuel industry argues that President-elect Joe Biden can also make progress on his climate goals by expanding biofuel usage mandates, embracing a low carbon fuel policy and increasing vehicle emissions standards. Now that Democrats have
by Emily Holbrook (Environment + Energy Leader) ... US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the establishment of a Division of Minerals Sustainability. In a statement on its website, the DOE says the division was created to bring an increased focus to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s A.J. Simon shared this illuminating slide guide at ABLC 2020 to look at the role that bioeconomy pathways play in drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere. From pathway selection, corn starch,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US federal government formed the Fuels of the Future Advisory Board, which will have three subcommittees on biofuels, hydrogen and methane hydrates. At the same time, the government terminated the Biomass Research
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Barriers abound in the bioeconomy, but this slide guide from Idaho National Lab shows how artificial intelligence and machine learning will lower the barriers to growing a bioeconomy. From biomass supply and logistics to preprocessing
by Marisa Ramiccio (University of Central Florida/TechXplore) Vehicles have evolved to become more efficient and sophisticated, but their fuel hasn't necessarily evolved along with them. The Department of Energy is determined to identify cleaner burning and renewable alternatives to gasoline, and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oak Ridge National Laboratory is conducting studies for BETO to identify better materials for raw biomass processing, biomass liquefaction, and bio-oil storage. From how important alloy selection is to working on materials issues with developers
by Julie Wurth (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment) ... A study by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) found that energy sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) behaves more like
(Growth Energy) In a court filing today (January 5, 2021), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association continued to call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to release the names and locations of refineries granted exemptions
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2021? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2020
(Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition/CISION) The Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (“AFCC”) worked closely with policy makers and appropriators this year to provide changes to the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”)’s Title XVII Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program (the “Title
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, is accepting applications for a postdoctoral researcher to investigate, collaborate and reveal mechanisms of theoretical and computational combustion chemistries of low carbon fuels. The person who fills the
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) As Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s fuel properties technical lead for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuel and Engines, or Co-Optima, initiative, Jim Szybist has been on a quest for the past few years to
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Hundreds of naturally occurring specialty fatty acids (building blocks of oils) have potential for use as raw materials for making lubricants, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and more—if they could be produced at large scale by crop plants. But attempts to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Four critical challenges in biochemical and thermochemical processing were addressed in the just released “Bioprocessing Separations Consortium Three-Year Overview” U.S. BETO report, including targeting the fractionation of lignin to enable valorization; Developing technologies to enable
(Algae Biomass Organization) ... Our collective effort has resulted in record-breaking policy support, including: $70 million for algae industry research, development, and demonstration in 2020 Congressional appropriations for DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office, Office of Fossil Energy, and Office of Science. $110 million
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Biden, who oversaw the Obama administration's stimulus work as vice president, could utilize a pot of $40 billion in unused Energy Department loan authority awarded under the 2009 stimulus to kick start his climate and
(University of Louisiana at Lafayette) An energy storage and power generation system being designed at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette could make flying the friendly skies less harmful to the environment. Solid oxide fuel cells are “a key component” within
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) 2020 showed us a lot of things, but one thing it emphasized bigtime is that we are all connected on this planet. A virus spread like wildfire because of our connectedness with each other. If
(Energy Vision / Biomass Magazine) Sustainable energy NGO Energy Vision has released its most recent joint assessment of the U.S. renewable natural gas (RNG) industry, performed on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. The assessment, which consists
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The $1.4 trillion spending package includes appropriation for Fiscal Year 2021, the COVID stimulus package, extensions of popular tax credits that otherwise expired on December 31st, and the Energy Act of 2020, a $35B version
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Reps. Marc Veasey, D-Texas; David McKinley, R-W.V.; Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.; and Pete Stauber, R-Minn., on Dec. 16 introduced the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act, which supports the buildout of the infrastructure necessary to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Synthetic biology produces fabrics, food, biofuels, health products and more, but we need better predictive power. Machine learning can help and be used to design pathways or choose promoters to optimize production for example. Hector
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Enegy) With the selections of New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland for Interior secretary and North Carolina regulator Michael Regan for EPA chief, the Biden administration has rounded out the top brass of its climate team.
(U.S. Department of Energy) DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) develops technologies that convert domestic biomass and waste resources into fuels, products, and power to enable affordable energy, economic growth, and innovation in renewable energy and chemicals production. This Funding Opportunity
(Our Daily Planet) Yesterday President-elect Joe Biden announced former South Bend mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg as his nominee for Transportation Secretary. Buttigieg would be one of the youngest cabinet secretaries and the first openly gay person to lead a federal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There is such a thing as green polyols for polyurethanes! And as you probably know, cellulosic ethanol produces tons of co-product lignin, so check out this slide guide that dives into the basic polyurethane chemistry,
(U.S. Department of Energy) On Monday, December 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its FY 2021 Phase I Release 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Eligible small businesses can apply
by Jeff Overton (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) As the aviation industry recovers from the severe contraction caused by the pandemic, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) will be essential to help the sector achieve a path to net-zero carbon emissions by
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $33 million in funding to support innovative hydrogen and fuel cell research & development (R&D), infrastructure supply chain development and validation, and cost analysis activities. This funding opportunity announcement
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $35 million in funding for bioenergy feedstock technologies and algae research and development. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) supports the White House priority for advancing the domestic
(C3E) The U.S. C3E Awards recognize mid-career women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishments in clean energy. The U.S. C3E Ambassadors select the winners and these remarkable Awardees are recognized for their work at the annual U.S. C3E Symposium. Personal narratives
(U.S. Department of Energy/Forbes) Devinn Lambert, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) technical manager, made the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy List for her work in energy research. As a technology manager for BETO's Advanced Algal
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Biodiesel Board, American Coalition for Ethanol, and National Farmers Union today filed a brief challenging EPA’s August 2019 decision to exempt 31 small refineries from their obligations to comply
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy, the nation’s largest association of biofuel producers and supporters, released a new report examining the potential climate benefits of a nationwide transition from the standard 10-percent ethanol blended fuel (E10) to a 15-percent ethanol blend (E15). The report was authored by Air Improvement
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Like Braskem’s news that they are expanding their post-consumer resin portfolio and investing $67 million in the construction of a recycling line with capacity to transform around 250 million pieces of packaging into 14,000
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is hosting its virtual 2021 Project Peer Review on March 8-16 and March 22-26, 2021. Projects in BETO’s research and development portfolio will be presented to the public and systematically reviewed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This just released report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office sums up the input that 175 participants from biofuels and bioenergy sectors gave at a virtual workshop to come up with best
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) As Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s fuel properties technical lead for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuel and Engines, or Co-Optima, initiative, Jim Szybist has been on a quest for the past few years to
by Geoff Cooper (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Renewable Fuels Association) Already contributing to decarbonization, ethanol is a phenomenal low-carbon molecule that will continue to play an instrumental role in the transition to net-zero emissions. And because it is here today, there is
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) From soda bottles to car bumpers to piping, electronics, and packaging, plastics have become a ubiquitous part of our lives. Advancements in materials have made plastics low cost, flexible, hygienic, lightweight, durable and readily available. While some
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We all know variability is inherent to biomass, but what can you do about it? Lots! This ABLC2020 slide guide dives into feedstock variability and the work FCIC is coordinating across an impressive 6 national
(University of North Dakota/News Wise) One of the significant challenges for renewable alternative fuels could be solved if a consortium of research laboratories led by the University of North Dakota can turn corn waste into jet fuel. Wayne Seames, Chester Fritz Distinguished
by Mary Ann Showalter (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) PNNL’s hydrothermal liquefaction shows promise for turning harmful algal blooms into biocrude -- ... Algal blooms can also raise treatment costs for drinking water suppliers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is announcing a webinar on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 from 1–4 PM (EST) to discuss key findings from its Request for Information (RFI) from industry, academia,
(Mississippi State University) A $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will benefit Mississippi State researchers in the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center studying the economic and ecological benefits of growing trees for biofuel production. The DOE funding will
(Carbon 180) We partner with policymakers, scientists, and businesses around the globe to develop policy, promote research, and advance solutions that transform carbon from a pollutant to a resource and foster a prosperous, carbon-conscious economy that removes more from the
by Sheila Van Cuyk (U.S. Department of Energy) ... One such project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is targeting sustainable aviation fuels that can reduce harmful emissions, including greenhouse gases. Not all Transportation Fuels are Created Equal Relative to gasoline and diesel,
by Sebastien Malo (Reuters/WestLaw) A federal appeals court vacated for the second time on Tuesday a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denial of small oil refinery Ergon West Virginia Inc's (EWVI) request for an exemption from the country's biofuel regulations after finding
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science announced a funding opportunity under its SBIR and STTR programs. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly
The Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) is excited to announce a series of webinars to showcase the consortium’s tools and knowledge garnered through research. The FCIC is a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort among nine U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories. The goal
(Green Car Congress/GTI) GTI and partners, The Ohio State University, Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC), and Trimeric Corporation (Trimeric), have been selected for award on a project to advance Ohio State’s transformational membrane technology to provide step-out reductions in CO2 capture cost
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative focuses on developing new high-performance fuels that, when combined with advanced combustion approaches, can boost engine efficiency and cut emissions. Co-Optima seeks proposals to leverage National Laboratory resources
(Climate 21 Project) The Climate 21 Project taps the expertise of more than 150 experts with high-level government experience, including nine former cabinet appointees, to deliver actionable advice for a rapid-start, whole-of-government climate response coordinated by the White House and accountable to the
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass is a promising route to produce renewable biofuels and oxygenated biochemicals while enabling the reuse, recovery, and recycling of materials containing carbon. Aqueous Waste Streams: A Drag on Biorefinery Profitability To
by Christina Nunez (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Though we usually think of ethanol as fuel for the gas tank, it can also be transformed into valuable chemicals that could help replace a variety of petroleum-based products beyond just gasoline. However, evolving
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) — The Biden transition named members of the teams that will guide the transfer of power inside federal agencies. — World leaders piled on the congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden this week, with many pledging to
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory/Phys.Org) Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have achieved unprecedented success in modifying a microbe to efficiently produce a compound of interest using a computational model and CRISPR-based gene editing. Their approach could dramatically speed up the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Did the bioeconomy win or lose? If you missed the conversation on Thursday at DigestConnect, check out this slide guide from Mike McAdams, President of Advanced Biofuels Association for his post-election analysis from the Presidential
by Katie Pratt (University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment) Sulfur found in biofuel feedstock could pose serious problems to the industry, because it causes pollution, is toxic to the catalyst and corrosive to biorefinery equipment. A national group
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are major barriers in growing a bioeconomy, but Idaho National Laboratory is tackling some of those by applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the supply of sustainable biomass feedstock for conversion to
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) This week, Manta Biofuels has launched a crowd investment campaign on Republic and began reaching out to colleagues, business associates, mentors and friends, offering them a chance to invest in this growing business. Dedicated to
(Maryland Energy Innovation Institute) In the latest round of funding, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $18.5M as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency (REEACH) program. The REEACH program objective is to develop
This virtual workshop is organized by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO). The objective of this workshop is to identify the role of hydrothermal
by Jenna Kurtzweil (Brookhaven National Laboratory/Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation) From southeastern Florida to northern Mississippi to the Midwestern Corn Belt, CABBI scientists have struck sustainable oil with sugarcane. But the crop’s potential value to the renewable energy
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office requests input from stakeholders to aid in identifying existing bioenergy workforce development opportunities: Learning/skill development opportunities Gaps that impede skill development and
by Rebecca Pool (Engineering and Technology) A growing band of scientists and engineers wants to feed and fuel the world with seaweed. --... The last decade has seen a surge in seaweed aquaculture, driven by a rising interest in using
(University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign/Phys.Org) An international research team has sequenced the full genome of an ornamental variety of miscanthus, a wild perennial grass emerging as a prime candidate for sustainable bioenergy crops. The genome project—led by scientists at the Center for Advanced
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Partnership Watch: Lummus Technology, New Hope Technologies In Texas, Lummus Technology and New Hope Technologies today announced that the companies have entered into a cooperation agreement for the marketing and further development of a
by Brandon C. Knott, Erika Erickson, Mark D. Allen, Japheth E. Gado, Rosie Graham, Fiona L. Kearns, Isabel Pardo, Ece Topuzlu, Jared J. Anderson, Harry P. Austin, Graham Dominick, Christopher W. Johnson, Nicholas A. Rorrer, Caralyn J. Szostkiewicz, Valérie Copié, Christina M. Payne, H. Lee Woodcock, Bryon S. Donohoe, Gregg T. Beckham, and
(Solutions from the Land) NACSAA 'Capstone Submission' Stresses CSA Is 'Foundational' to Global Agreement -- North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance has handed over its capstone submission into the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, the global platform for ag policy
Stability? Will there be the incentives and markets where lowest-carbon fuels, renewable chemicals, protein, advanced foods and sustainable agriculture can thrive? Investment? Where will the money come from for developing and nurturing new companies, and deploying new technology at commercial scale? Technology? How will technologies adapt to
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com ) ... To that end, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), state corn organizations, ethanol groups and the auto industry, are working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to conduct vehicle testing using 15 percent ethanol (E15) at
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy and Next Rung Technology shared this illuminating slide guide on the creation, valorization and disposition of bioenergy data assets. By looking at data types, data assets, checking back in on
by Michael Berube (U.S. Department of Energy) Every October, we celebrate Bioenergy Day by spreading awareness of how the efforts of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) are contributing to groundbreaking technologies to produce the next generation of biofuels and bioproducts that:
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Wood and waste energy accounted for nearly one-fourth of U.S. renewable energy use in 2019, while biofuels accounted for 20 percent of renewable energy consumption, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information
by J. Richard Hess (Idaho National Laboratory) ...Even though MSW (municipal solid waste) has great potential, not much was known about the cost and quality of feedstocks that could be derived from MSW or MSW blends for fuel production. In
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) NREL, Oak Ridge Scientists Reveal Economics Must Include More Than Size of Poplar Trees -- Popular wisdom holds that tall, fast-growing trees are best for biomass, but new research by two U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratories
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Joe Biden put some space between his clean energy plan and that of the Green New Deal during last night's town hall, while also pitching renewables and carbon capture. ... Former Vice President Joe
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced over $27 million in funding for 12 projects that will support the development of advanced plastics recycling technologies and new plastics that are recyclable-by-design. As part of DOE’s Plastics
by Julie Chao (Berkeley National Laboratory) If you’ve eaten vegan burgers that taste like meat or used synthetic collagen in your beauty routine – both products that are “grown” in the lab – then you’ve benefited from synthetic biology. It’s a field
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center on Oct. 9 announced the 2020 release of the suite of Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) models. GREET is a life-cycle analysis tool that can
by Michael Bates (NGT News) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has officially launched the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) and the H2NEW consortia to advance fuel cell truck and hydrogen production R&D. The announcement builds upon DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(U.S. Department of Energy/Federal Register) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on its Request for Information (RFI) number DE-FOA-0002372 regarding the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy's (EERE) Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Research and Development Activities
(Algae Biomass Organization) ...ABO also announced at the Summit the 2020 Algae Industry Awards, presented to companies and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the science and business of algae. Additionally, six student scientists were presented with this year’s Young
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 106-billion-gallon global (21-billion-gallon domestic) commercial jet fuel market is projected to grow to over 230 billion gallons by 2050. Cost-competitive sustainable alternative jet fuels for aviation are needed to decouple carbon growth from market
by Reagan Colyer (Montana State University News Service) A research team led by faculty in Montana State University’s College of Agriculture received $5.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy designed to explore camelina, an oilseed with the potential to be an alternative
The CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program, with input and support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions and Chief Commercialization Officer, is pleased to present the fifth session in the Energy Innovation Series. Innovation in Transportation Fuels will
(Illinois State University) Though farmers consider pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) nothing more than a weed, Illinois State Professor of Genetics Dr. John Sedbrook is working to change their perspective—and the plant itself. Sedbrook and his student researchers in the School of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital in July, Jim Dooley, Chief Technology Officer at Forest Concepts shared this illuminating presentation on the latest innovations in biomass pretreatments, how they maximize flowability, their crumbler solutions that can handle any
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In today’s Digest, how Florida-based Transform Materials is literally transforming the petrochemical industry’s ability to convert flared natural gas often emitted at hydraulic fracking wellheads into hydrogen and acetylene using microwave plasma technology, and
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) ...What did become clear was Democrats in both the House and the Senate are paying more attention to biofuels at the moment. And yet, given that Congress is going to pass a temporary funding
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... So as we look for better biofuel feedstocks, we look at switchgrass because of new U.S. Department of Energy AND U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to study it for biofuels. Could it be
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy leads the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium, which is a collaborative effort among 9 labs to develop first-principles based knowledge and tools to understand and mitigate the effects of biomass feedstock and process
(Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Small stockpiles of biomass such as sewage, food waste, and wood chips are often overlooked in visions of future sustainable fuel and chemical production. The dismissal arises because transporting these materials to a large-scale, centralized bio-refinery would
by Joshua R.Elmore, Gara N.Dexter, DaviniaSalvachúa, MarykateO'Brien, Dawn M.Klingeman,KentGorday, Joshua K.Michener, Darren J.Peterson, Gregg T.Beckham, Adam M.Guss (Metabolic Engineering) Engineered P. putida to catabolize xylose and arabinose. Identified bottlenecks in xylose catabolism in P. putida and improved growth rate. Max sugar consumption rate in
by James P.Szybist, StephenBusch, Robert L.McCormick, Josh A.Pihl, Derek A.Splitter, Matthew A.Ratcliff, Christopher P.Kolodziej, John M.E.Storey, MelanieMoses-DeBusk, DavidVuilleumier, MagnusSjöberg, C. ScottSluder, TobyRockstroh, PaulMiles (Progress in Energy and Combustion Science/Science Direct) The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative from the
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) : The Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy organization argued in a new report that funding research and development would provide an immediate economic and jobs stimulus while setting up a more sustainable long-term economy that reduces
U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, has released the Transportation Annual Technology Baseline (ATB). The ATB will provide detailed cost and performance data, estimates, and assumptions for current and potential
(U.S. Department of Energy)The Integrated Strategies to Enable Lower-Cost Biofuels report summarizes the findings of a qualitative analysis to identify integrated strategies needed for more affordable biofuels. It outlines five key strategies needed to achieve lower fuel production costs in
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) hosted the 2019 Project Peer Review on March 4–7, 2019, in Denver, Colorado. During the event, 447 projects in BETO’s research portfolio were presented in 14 simultaneous review
(U.S. Department of Energy) Today(September 1, 2020), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the award of approximately $72 million in federal funding to support the development and advancement of carbon capture technologies under two funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). Under this
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy gave a timely update on their latest activities in the transportation sector at ABLC Digital in July. From the multiple pathways the DOE is pursuing for biofuels and bioenergy to
by Zia Abdullah (U.S. Department of Energy) Techno-economic analysis leads to a market-responsive biorefinery concept -- ... THE CHALLENGE: REDUCE BIOMASS TO BIOFUEL CONVERSION COSTS -- ... The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass is hindered by high conversion costs, creating
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Review of Technical Pathways report provides an overview of commercial jet aviation fuel and summarizes learnings from three BETO-supported workshops. In addition, the report focuses on insights for reducing costs and optimizing the value
(AZO Cleantech) For years, researchers have been trying to harness the crop-growing benefits of the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), for example, can deliver water and nutrients to the roots of plants like sorghum, a grain
(U.S. Department of Energy/ARPA-E) Today, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy announced $16.5 million in funding for six projects as part of the Systems for Monitoring and Analytics for Renewable Transportation Fuels from Agricultural Resources and Management (SMARTFARM) program. These projects will
(U.S. Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative explores how simultaneous innovations in fuels and engines can boost fuel economy and vehicle performance while reducing emissions. Co-Optima researchers publish their latest scientific findings in journal articles,
(Western Illinois University) Just 12 months after Western Illinois University Agriculture Professor Win Phippen announced the award of a $10 million federal grant to investigate the use of Pennycress as a commercial cash crop, a second grant has been awarded
by Michael Bates (NGT News) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) says the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded over $7.1 million in funding to three projects advancing clean automotive transportation technologies supported by the utility. SoCalGas’ Research, Development & Demonstration department will provide $730,000
(AZO CleanTech/Colorado State University) Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of these systems has been controversial, due to
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