(Associated Press/The Washington Post) President Barack Obama is announcing his picks for three Cabinet-level jobs — nominees to run the Energy Department, Environmental Protection Agency and budget office. Obama says energy secretary nominee Ernest Moniz is a “brilliant scientist” who knows
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As cellulosic biofuels technologies start to deploy — critics and friends ask, 36 billion gallons by 2022, can it still be done? Yep, there’s a pathway. In Washington, the US Energy Information Administration released a map
by Bryan McBournie (SmartBlog on Leadership) ... DuPont Chairwoman and CEO Ellen Kullman said it is important to ensure that the world’s energy mix is diverse, sustainable and accessible, and adding partners is key to innovation. Value-chain collaboration helped DuPont bring
(1011Now.com) ...Nebraska ethanol and ag leaders believe E15 is key in getting idle ethanol plants back to producing. Robert White, the director of market development for the Renewable Fuels Association, tells fuel retailers that gasoline demand dropped 6 percent last year as more
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A Feb. 26 hearing featured testimony of three E15 critics, including a representative of the Coordinating Research Council, which has authored research reports concluding E15 could damage engine valves and fuel system components. Absent
(Green Car Congress) US Commercial-scale production of cellulosic biofuels reached about 20,000 gallons in late 2012, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA estimates this output could grow to more than 5 million gallons this year, as operations ramp up
by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg) People attending a Washington event this week may witness something almost unheard of in political circles: Republicans praising a clean-energy program supported by President Barack Obama. The Advanced Research Projects Agency -- Energy, originally funded through the 2009
(US Department of Energy) The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) is devoted exclusively to transformational energy technology research and development. ARPA-E’s mission is to: Enhance U.S. economic security by identifying technologies with the potential to reduce energy imports from
by Col. Bill Holmberg (ret.) (American Council On Renewable Energy) “Up with octane, down with aromatics, and embrace the needs of people and nature,” says ACORE’s legendary biomass guru. But less freak-out, more reach-out is needed, he cautions. ...However, certain forces
by Tina Casey (Clean Technica) As pressure on the Obama Administration to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline ramps up, algae biofuel is emerging as yet another domestic energy source that undercuts every argument for the project, which is designed to
by John Davis and Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Ethanol producers need to squeeze every penny out of their operations. But one expert in the field of corn oil wonders why some refiners aren’t trying to capture the corn oil produced when
(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department today announced a $1 million investment to analyze and evaluate potential cost-competitive pathways for producing and transporting hydrogen fuel. The project selected—led by Strategic Analysis, Inc. in Arlington, Virginia—will identify cost-effective and efficient
(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department on February 1 invited public comment on an upcoming solicitation totaling more than $50 million for new research projects that will develop advanced technologies to improve vehicle performance and increase fuel economy. The
(Renewable Fuels Association) A new research article published last month in the academic journal Biofuels concluded that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is producing significant positive economic effects in the United States. According to the paper, authored by researchers at the Department of Energy’s
by Jim Lane (Biobased DIgest) Bringing your biobased technology forward through the Valley of Death may require a bridge over troubled waters. Here are partners worth knowing. ... Bioenergy commercialization is long, expensive and risky. Derisking the enterprise by making the
(Algae Industry Magazine) The U.S. Departments of Energy and the Treasury have announced the availability of $150 million in Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy and energy efficiency manufacturing projects across the United States. The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax
by Patrick Rucker (Reuters) President Barack Obama wants Congress to create a $2 billion clean-energy transportation fund using fees paid by oil and gas producers on federal lands, the White House said Wednesday, expanding a plan announced in Obama's State of the
by Charles Lane (The Washington Post) The Obama administration’s electric-car fantasy finally may have died on the road between Newark, Del., and Milford, Conn. The New York Times’s John M. Broder reported Friday that the Tesla Model S electric car he was test-driving repeatedly
(Brookhaven National Laboratory/Biomass Magazine) Scientists studying an enzyme that naturally produces alkanes—long carbon-chain molecules that could be a direct replacement for the hydrocarbons in gasoline—have figured out why the natural reaction typically stops after three to five cycles. Armed with
by Tracy Dang (ICIS.com) Exploring a future in advanced biofuels can be one way the US ethanol industry address the “food vs. fuel” debate, a consultant said on Thursday. “Even though it is a misconception that first-generation ethanol compromises the food supply,
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Teresa Alleman, a senior chemist with the fuels performance group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., shared the latest biodiesel fuel quality survey results with attendees at the National Biodiesel Conference &
by John Siciliano (Inside EPS's Clean Energy Report) The Department of Energy (DOE) is restructuring its renewable energy program to create an office of transportation, with officials saying the move will help better coordinate and prioritize its research and development programs
by Richard Craver (Winston-Salem Journal) The U.S. Energy Department has made a $500,000 award to the Alternative Fuel Implementation Team for N.C. project, which is led by the N.C. Solar Center at N.C. State University. The project represents a two-year collaboration
by Michael Wang, Jeongwoo Han, Jennifer B Dunn, Hao Cai and Amgad Elgowainy (US Department of Energy/IOP Science) corn-based ethanol production occurring mostly in the US and sugarcane-based ethanol production occurring mostly in Brazil. Advances in technology and the resulting
(Nanowerk.com) A collaborative study by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a bioenergy research center led by Berkeley Lab, and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has shown that an ionic liquid proven to be effective for
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) In yesterday’s address on Policy Day at the Washington, DC Auto Show, Energy Secretary Steven Chu spoke passionately about the need for the US to reduce dependence on foreign oil. He listed the ways
by Sue Holmes (Sandia News Media/Algae Industry Magazine) Sandia National Laboratories Truman Fellow Anne Ruffing has engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels, and has also found that the process cuts the bacteria’s
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. DOE has made $6 million available for projects focused on developing and demonstrating supply chain technologies that will enable delivery of commercial-scale lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks to U.S. biorefineries. The funding opportunity will focus on
by Li Jiao (SciDev.net) Deep inside insects' guts may lie the key to one of the biofuel industry's great challenges: how to cost-effectively turn tough plant waste into profit-making fuel. About 50 million tonnes of lignin are produced every year worldwide,
(National Algae Association) Is the government’s commitment to alternative fuels being stymied by the American Petroleum Institute, or is the Department of Energy stymying the commitment all by itself? The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia recently canceled
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Lawrence Berkeley Lab has developed a new technology that enables the engineering of host microorganisms suitable for biofuel processing using ionic liquid pretreatment. It may also enable fermentation under septic conditions, since invasive organisms are
(Algae Industry Magazine) West Virginia-based Touchstone Research Laboratory, is experimenting with three new technologies at their raceway farm testing center built around four 30-by-200-foot ponds in Wooster, Ohio. Funded by close to $7 million in grants from the U.S. Department
by Holly Jessen (Biodiesel Magazine) A two-year research project aims to crack the lignin question by engineering a microbe to break down the byproduct into a lipid, or fat, and then into biodiesel. The research has the potential to make
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) One of biofuels’ most-celebrated technologies falters; the struggle to raise capital claims a high-profile victim. ...The company had been known for its awesomely promising technology, leisurely pace towards commercialization compared to synth-bio companies like Amyris, brutal
by Kristi Pihl (Tri-City Herald) A pilot project to produce biofuel using agricultural and organic municipal waste has reached levels that makes the process commercially viable, researchers say. The project, paid for by the Department of Energy, is within six months
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) DOE sets goal of 2,500 gallon per acre algae biomass demonstration by 2018. In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced a “Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield” Funding Opportunity of up to $10 million to help
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Now, yeast is a fungi, but fungi as a Kingdom is a lot broader than our friend yeast and, like Rodney Dangerfield, it been getting, by and large, no respect, no respect. Researchers have for
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) The future of the American Le Mans GreenX ChallengeTM in particular and Green Racing in general is uncertain past the 2013 racing season. On Friday, January 4th 2013, NASCAR GRAND-AM and American Le Mans (ALMS)
(Department of Energy) As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above strategy to develop every available source of American energy, the U.S. Department of Energy today announced more than $10 million to five projects in California, Washington, Maryland, and Texas that
by Tim Portz (Biomass Magazine) Valerie Reed, acting manager for the U.S. DOE Biomass Program, is leading a federal government initiative of nearly $200 million to expedite the commercialization of next-generation, biomass-based fuels and chemicals. With investments being made in
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Four tax provisions were in the bill that directly impact biofuels. Cellulosic biofuels producer tax credit. ... The provision would extend this production tax credit for one additional year, for cellulosic biofuel produced through 2013. The proposal
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters. Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. When these 12 projects open
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers at the Joint BioEnergy Institute are exploring new ways to meet the challenge of recalcitrant cellulosic feedstocks and lower the cost of biomass-based biofuels. The group recently published two papers detailing their work
by Michael Wang, Jeongwoo Han, Jennifer B Dunn, Hao Cai and Amgad Elgowainy (IOP Science/Argonne National Laboratory) Globally, bioethanol is the largest volume biofuel used in the transportation sector, with corn-based ethanol production occurring mostly in the US and sugarcane-based ethanol
(Committee on the Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels; Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources; Board on Energy and Environmental Systems; Division on Earth and Life Studies; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; National Research Council) Biofuels made from algae are
(Plant Sensory Systems, LLC) The Award Will Support the Development of High-Output, Low-Input Energy Beets, Optimized for Biofuel Production Plant Sensory Systems, LLC today announced the award of $1.8 million in funding from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy
(Department of Energy Office of Science) The Community College Internship (CCI) program seeks to encourage community college students to enter technical careers relevant to the DOE mission by providing technical training experiences at the DOE laboratories. Selected students participate as
(EScienceNews.com) Galactan is a polymer of galactose, a six-carbon sugar that can be readily fermented by yeast into ethanol and is a target of interest for researchers in advanced biofuels produced from cellulosic biomass. Now an international collaboration led by
by Zack Coleman (The Hill E2Wire) The Obama administration lent its support Wednesday to a congressional effort that would open a financing structure for renewable energy. Energy Secretary Steven Chu called on Congress to approve legislation that would let investors utilize
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Unofficial reports indicate that biofuels provisions have survived a House-Senate conference over the Defense bill. According to sources, House and Senate conferees have finished work on their conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act. Sources
by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) Cellulosic biofuel companies will boost production almost 20-fold in 2013 as the first high-volume refineries go into operation, signaling a shift from an experimental fuel into a commercially viable industry. Production of the fuel made
(WebWire) Biofuels made from high yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of articles
(US Department of Energy) This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) will address research and development (R&D) challenges that were identified at a stakeholder workshop held in December 2011 called “Conversion Technologies for Advanced Biofuels” (CTAB) and from a Request for Information (RFI)
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Goal is to develop new catalysts to lower costs for producing biofuels The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will partner with Johnson Matthey, a global specialty chemicals company, in a five-year, $7 million
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Policy, finance, technology, feedstocks, markets, prices, opposition. Here’s what’s on your mind, as the critical 2013 deployment year for biofuels looms. So here are 15 burning questions as suggested by various Digesterati — divided for convenience
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The United Nation’s emphasis of “Sustainable Energy for All” (SE4All) in 2012 wrapped up with a decision to continue the focus with a Sustainable Energy for All Decade. The Pennsylvania Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF)
by Patricia McDaniels (University of Tennessee/Southeast Farm Press) A genetic engineering research effort led by a University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture plant scientist is among 66 award-winning projects selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as potentially transformational in
(Algae Industry Magazine) Funded by a $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Biomass Program, Dr. Adeniyi Lawal of Stevens Institute of Technology will be leading a team investigating microalgae as a biomass fuel source. Dr. Simon Podkolzin,
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Overall, the reference case predicts that total primary energy consumption will grow by 7 percent, from 98 quadrillion Btu in 2011 to 104 quadrillion Btu in 2035. This is 2.5 quadrillion Btu less than
(ICM) ICM, Inc. announces that it successfully completed its 1,000-hour run of an integrated fiber campaign conducted at its pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. ICM has developed and validated its proprietary Generation 1.5 Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
(University of Colorado--Boulder) A team led by the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded $9.2 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Energy to research modifying E. coli to produce biofuels such as gasoline. ...The team is working
(US Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory) Breakthrough could help optimize capture of sugars for biofuels Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) combined different microscopic imaging methods to gain
(US Department of Energy) This is a Request for Information (RFI) only. DOE will not pay for information provided under this RFI and no project will be supported as a result of this RFI. This RFI is not accepting applications
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Senate voted 54-41 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina to repeal section 2823 of the annual Defense appropriations bill. Sec. 2823 of the FY13 NDAA
by Tom Kadala (Biofuels Digest/ResearchPAYS) ...Aside from shaving off more capacity than they have already, airlines are looking elsewhere to stay in business. One area that remains unexplored is the diversification from a one fuel source model to multiple fuel
(US Department of Energy) Today (November 28, 2012), Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced 66 cutting-edge research projects selected by the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to receive a total of $130 million in funding through its
by Bobby Magill (The Coloradoan) Colorado State University has been awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to genetically modify plants for use as biofuel. The money will pay for researchers to develop a system that will
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Senate voted 62-37 in favor of an amendment offered by Senator Mark Udall of Colorado to repeal section 313 of the annual Defense appropriations bill. Section 313 language, which was offered by
(Capital Press) Researchers already know how to turn algae into fuel. The challenge is how to make that profitable. A group from the University of Toledo is trying to make the process more efficient and says coming up with a solution
(US Department of Energy) The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decisions makers find ways to reduce petroleum consumption through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and
Shi-You Ding, Yu-San Liu, Yining Zeng, Michael E. Himmel, John O. Baker, Edward A. Bayer (Science Magazine) Greater understanding of the mechanisms contributing to chemical and enzymatic solubilization of plant cell walls is critical for enabling cost-effective industrial conversion of cellulosic
The National Institute of Standards and Technology announced that it has posted presentations from the 4th International Conference on Biofuels Standards: Current Issues, Future Trends on its web site. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Find New Access to Abundant Biomass for Advanced Biofuels After cellulose, xylan is the most abundant biomass material on Earth, and therefore represents an enormous potential source of stored solar
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, rumors abound that US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu may step aside shortly for a new Secretary – with President Obama seeking a number of cabinet-level changes to inject fresh faces and thinking
by Nick Perry (The Australian) A Technology breakthrough by two Australian brothers could offer a solution to the world's insatiable appetite for food and fuel. Phillip and Geoff Bell have developed a new way to produce ethanol from waste products such
(ZeaChem) ZeaChem Inc., developer of highly-efficient biorefineries, today announced that it has completed construction of its 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon. The project was completed on budget and is expected to begin production of
(Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center) Bioprospecting Lab: In collaboration with 2011 Research Experience for Teachers participant Craig Kohn and GLBRC scientists in Cameron Currie's Lab at UW-Madison, we are developing a new lab sequence in which students search for cellulose-degrading
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Big algae news in the state of Arizona is the $15 million award by the Department of Energy to Arizona State University to establish a national algae science and technology testbed, dubbed the Algae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can local communities pyrolize their wastes and residues, to make renewable fuels and chemicals at biobased super-refineries? Two-step processes could be the ticket to the future, according to an Iowa State team. Imagine, for a
(RTI) RTI International began construction last week on a new 3,000-square-foot energy technology development facility on RTI’s main campus in Research Triangle Park, N.C. The facility will house a biomass pyrolysis reactor to further extend RTI’s biofuels research efforts. Using RTI’s technology, the
(Pennsylvania State University) The Northeast could help lead the way to a renewable-energy-based economy by utilizing marginal and abandoned land to grow energy crops such as perennial grasses and fast-growing woody plants. That's the goal of a new research and education
(Primus Green Energy) New Northeast Consortium Tasked With Developing Perennial Biomass Feedstock Production Systems As part of its continued effort to drive the commercialization of alternative fuels, Primus Green Energy Inc. an alternative fuel company based in Hillsborough, N.J., has signed
(The Ames Laboratory) Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Ames Laboratory are learning more about how nano-scale catalytic systems work, and their research could be the key to improved processes for refining biofuels and producing other chemicals. Nanospheres,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Are they biofuels? We think so – even if they are post-biomass. They do what organisms have done for eons to make biomass in the first place: convert lifeless CO2, sunlight and water and nutrients
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We say that biofuels are “capital-intensive,” mainly to be polite. It’s like saying that Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great or Attila the Hun had “land interests”. ...Put it this way. How much capital would you need to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Those momentum killers. Company wreckers. The investor flight-inducing crevasses along the route to the top – that take away a level playing field, remove your access to markets, delay a counted-on early-stage customer, or frighten
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every great biofuels technology has its own companion feedstock strategy – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who’s got what it takes to be a great Sherpa, providing that feedstock or intermediates edge that puts
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The next five years—the often scoffed mantra of cellulosic ethanol developers—is getting whittled down to the next year or two. A milestone was reached this year when Blue Sugars Corp. got the first cellulosic
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Quad County Corn Processors is working toward production of both grain-based and cellulosic ethanol from the same feedstock. Travis Brotherson, plant engineer at the 30 MMgy ethanol plant in Galva, Iowa, wasn’t even thinking about
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every biofuels contender has its own route to the top – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who is nearing the Summit, what’s their Hillary Step, who’s got Sherpas, who’s got oxygen? It’s the race
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Growing crude oil as a crop – Sapphire Energy and its Green Crude Farm – can it be the sunlight in your universe and change the world? What does it look like? How does it work?
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Scientists at the U.S. DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have demonstrated a better way to use photosynthesis to produce ethylene, a breakthrough that could change the way materials, chemicals, and transportation fuels are made,
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...High moisture feedstocks can muck up the hammer mill system. However, many advanced biofuel producers do not want completely dry feedstocks. The solution will lie in a technology that works well to produce uniform small particles from
(VTT Technology) ... So far, conventional diesel buses and conventional diesel fuel have dominated the market, with some contribution from natural gas buses. Now we are in a situation in which the technology options are increasing rapidly. This goes for vehicle technology
(Phys.Org) Scientists from the University of Liverpool are part of an international research project to apply the properties of drought-adapted desert plants, like agave, to poplar trees, a recognised biofuel crop. Dr James Hartwell, from the Institute of Integrative Biology, is
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jobs, global expansion, proteins vs fuels, new R&D funding – all the big issues are under debate both on and off the floor at the Algae Biomass Summit. ...Jobs Dr. John Benemann projected on stage that,
by Laura Millsaps (DOE Pulse) Pioneering mass spectrometry methods developed at DOE’s Ames Laboratory are helping plant biologists get their first glimpses of never-before-seen plant tissue structures. The new method opens up new realms of study, ones that might have long-ranging implications for biofuels
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) If Purdue University researchers have their way, the term "biofuel plant" will take on a whole new meaning. A team received a $5.2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop a plant that can make substances
(Phys.Org) Putting the water-use-efficient and turbo-charged photosynthesis from plants such as agave into woody biomass plants such as poplar can hedge against predicted long-term increases in temperatures and reduced precipitation. It can also provide dedicated energy crops suitable for establishment
by Brian Winter (Reuters/Chicago Tribune) After years at each other's throats, Brazil and the United States are working together to promote the use of ethanol in a collaboration that could revolutionize global markets and the makeup of the biofuel itself. The breakthrough came
(Algae Industry Magazine) Jon Strunk reports that over the last two months, University of Toledo (UT) researchers have won $4 million in nationally competitive awards from the federal government to explore ways society can benefit from algae’s hunger for phosphorus-rich
by Zhifang Cui, Caixia Wan, Jian Shi, Robert W. Sykes, and Yebo Li (Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research) Corn stover fractions (leaves, cobs, and stalks) were studied for enzymatic digestibility after pretreatment with a white rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Among the three fractions, leaves had the least
by Patrick O'Grady (Phoenix Business Journal) Arizona State University will lead a consortium of public and private groups on a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that will examine test beds for algae research. The grant, announced Tuesday, potentially puts ASU
The US Department of Energy, EERE Biomass Program posted an updated version of its Program Overview presentation. This presentation is an interactive walk through of the Program's vision of advancing the biofuels and bioproducts industry, and it highlights the research
by Drew Kershen (BioFortified) ...I do not write to enter the debate focused on fuel standards, markets and commodity speculators. I acknowledge that other factors also contribute to food crises, particularly in developing nations – e.g., underfunded agricultural research and
Martin Lamonica (MIT Technology Review) Sapphire Energy has started operation of its demonstration-scale algae farm, a project which perhaps brings more clarity to an industry debate over the best way to grow algae. The San Diego-based company last week said that
(National Algae Association/PR Log) Raceway ponds were never meant to be used for industrial algae production. When the Department of Energy initiated the Aquatic Species Program years ago, there was no other choice. Raceway ponds were relatively inexpensive to build, land
(Argonne National Laboratory) Nanoparticles synthesized from noble metals such as ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver (Ag), osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold (Au) are attracting increased attention by researchers around the world looking for advances in such fields as biomedicine and catalysts. Researchers
by David L. Chandler (MIT News) Genetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel. A humble soil bacterium called Ralstonia eutrophahas a natural tendency, whenever it is stressed, to stop growing and put all its
Hui Shen, Xianzhi He, Charleson R. Poovaiah, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Junying Ma, David G. J. Mann, Huanzhong Wang, Lisa Jackson, Yuhong Tang, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Fang Chen, Richard A. Dixon (New Phytologist) The major obstacle for bioenergy production from switchgrass biomass is the low saccharification efficiency caused by cell wall recalcitrance.
by Chunxiang Fu, Jonathan R. Mielenz, Xirong Xiao, Yaxin Ge, Choo Y. Hamilton, Miguel Rodriguez, Jr., Fang Chen, Marcus Foston, Arthur Ragauskas, Joseph Bouton, Richard A. Dixon, and Zeng-Yu Wang (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Switchgrass is a leading dedicated bioenergy feedstock in the United States
Lina Gallego-Giraldo, Luis Escamilla-Trevino, Lisa A. Jackson, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Down-regulation of the enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) leads to strongly reduced lignin levels,
Huanzhong Wang, Utku Avci, Jin Nakashima, Michael G. Hahn, Fang Chen, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Stems of dicotyledonous plants consist of an outer epidermis, a cortex, a ring of secondarily thickened vascular bundles and interfascicular
by James Hataway (UGA Today) Since 2007, researchers at the BioEnergy Science Center, one of three Department of Energy-funded research centers, have partnered to figure out how to break down plants so that they easily release the simple sugars that
(Ledger-Enquirer) ...Researchers at the University of Georgia may be close to finding it. A report by Susan Mittleman on Georgia Public Broadcasting and transcribed on the Public Broadcasting Atlanta website (pba.org) describes a promising new process for making ethanol and
by Ken Silverstein (Forbes) ...By most standards, the hope that is such first-generation fuel additives are supplanted by next-generation ones, or those produced from cellulose. Worth it? Such fibers are abundant and could supply 130 million gallons a year of ethanol
by Daehwan Chung, Joel Farkas, Jennifer R. Huddleston, Estefania Olivar, Janet Westpheling (PLoS ONE) Thermophilic microorganisms capable of using complex substrates offer special advantages for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and bioproducts. Members of the Gram-positive bacterial genus Caldicellulosiruptor are anaerobic thermophiles with optimum growth
Presentation by Helena Chum (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) US led by its State Department, and Brazil led by Department of Energy of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, have entered into an MOU to advance cooperation of Biofuels. Sharing best practices
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) Cleaner, more sustainable, more climate-friendly, more affordable advanced biofuels are closer to reality than many outside the industry seem to think. At least three new, advanced biofuel biorefineries are being commissioned this year, and at
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Like many states (or countries) that have limited oil reserves or reserves that are economically unfeasible to extract at this time – the path to energy independence lies generally in Missouri’s substantial “above-ground oil fields”
by Dan Krotz (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Molecular transporter could advance development of algae-based biofuels, pharmaceuticals Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and Stanford University have developed a way to send molecules and proteins
by Amir Kurtovic (St. Louis Business Journal) ...A team of University of Missouri researchers has won a $5.4 million grant to study alternative biofuels that do not impact the already strained food supply. ...Shibu Jose and his team of researchers in the
(R&D Magazine) Pioneering mass spectrometry methods developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Ames Laboratory are helping plant biologists get their first glimpses of never-before-seen plant tissue structures. The new method opens up new realms of study, ones that might
by Nariman Gizitdinov (Bloomberg) Ethanol credits held by U.S. refiners may help reduce demand for the blending fuel and ease pressure on rising prices of corn, from which ethanol is made, the International Energy Agency said. The credits, known as Renewable Identification
(Reuters) ...But gasoline prices should be spared despite the loss of ethanol output, the EIA said on Wednesday. "The impact of the forecasted decline in domestic ethanol production should be primarily reflected in reduced ethanol exports," the EIA said. The United
(US Department of Energy) On August 1, the US Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration held a workshop with video conferencing. Specifically, the Office of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Analysis conducted a workshop to explore the opportunities and challenges of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Fewer people know that natural gas is a platform for producing ethanol – either through fermentation or catalytic conversion (typically via methanol) – and drop-in fuels using the methanol-to-gasoline method pioneered years ago by ExxonMobil
(ECNMag.com) Engineered enzyme alters cell wall composition in ways that could make it easier to convert plant biomass into biofuels Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have created a new enzyme that effectively “masks” the synthetic
(U.S. Energy Information Administration) Biodiesel production data were reported for the first time in U.S. and regional petroleum supply and disposition balances as published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the Petroleum Supply Monthly(PSM) in May 2012. The biodiesel
by Cornell University (R&D Mag) The commercialization of shrub willow as a bioenergy crop could be years closer, thanks to a $1.37 million grant that will allow Cornell researchers to take advantage of the newly mapped shrub willow genome to
by Pavel Molchanov (Raymond James & Associates) In addition to declining U.S. oil demand and surging liquids production from onshore shale plays, there is a third component to our thesis that the nation is moving towards oil independence by 2020. We project
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Racing with E85, BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Wins Mid-Ohio MICHELIN® GREEN X® Challenge. Nissan Wins For First Time. [caption id="attachment_34827" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Michelin's Bibendum and US DOE's Bob Larsen congratulate BMW drivers Jorg Muller
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) ...While a variety of new fuel technologies are advancing, policy makers can be assured that the internal combustion engine will remain dominant for decades, the National Petroleum Council told the Department of Energy on Wednesday
(Algae Industry Magazine) Touchstone Research Laboratory, of Triadelphia, WV is scaling up its Department of Energy (DOE)-funded project to produce fuels and other high-value, bio-based products from algae. The laboratory is working with DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory to bring
The race to create a better, less controversial biofuel has spawned plenty of research into a variety of potential new sources - including switchgrass, cornstalks and algae. One goal behind the next generation of ethanol fuel is to end the debate
(US Department of Energy)Lab Creates DOE ‘Breakthrough’ Video Highlighting Biofuels Research Breaking down high-energy plants, such as switchgrass and miscanthus, cheaply and efficiently — and turning them into advanced biofuels — has long been the goal of biofuels’ research.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The recent focus on drought, and the scarcity scare, shows that diversification and yield enhancement remain the bioeconomy’s chief weapons in the war on availability and affordability. The USDA and DOE respond with a $41M
by Arthur Kollaras, Paul Koutouridis, Mary Biddy and James D. McMillan (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Feed yeast, green coal contribute to bottom line ...History shows that once an industry is established, significant technological improvements quickly evolve. But in the meantime, how does
(National Renewable Energy Laboratory) A new web application collects cost and performance estimates for electric generation, advanced vehicles, and renewable fuel technologies and makes them available for utilities, policy makers, consumers, and academics. The Transparent Cost Database (TCDB) app provides technology cost
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Here we are, some 30+ years into the era of genetic modification of crops. The primary breadbasket of the world, the United States, is experiencing its most severe drought conditions in decades, and you might
by Marcus Stern (Reuters) * Republicans call green fleet program too expensive * Pentagon says biofuels costs will drop Two companies involved on the ground level of an expensive Pentagon effort to embrace biofuels have used familiar strategies in building
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Energy Information Administration released its Annual Energy Outlook for 2012. Among changes in this year’s Outlook, an updated Reference case was included as part of this complete report, to incorporate modeling
(US Department of Energy) The intent of this FOA is to identify, evaluate, and select innovative pilot- or demonstration-scale integrated biorefineries that can produce hydrocarbon fuels that meet military specifications for JP-5 (jet fuel primarily for the Navy), JP-8 (jet
(US Department of Energy) The purpose of this request for information (RFI) is solely to solicit input for DOE consideration in the development of future algal biofuels research, development, and deployment (RD&D) programs. Information obtained in response to this RFI
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As bio-based companies race across the Valley of Death, in the dash for scale, who’s getting financing now, and how? The path to financing success in bio-based project development used to be a little less complicated. Raise
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Can the harnessing of the powers of magnetism overcome cost challenges in algal biofuels? Researchers across the globe pursue the answers. ...For the fossil molecule, its time within a living system is complete and its development
by Tim Bryant (STLToday.com) The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is among five recipients of a $12.1 million federal grant to develop drought-tolerant grass as a sustainable source of biofuel. Developing bioenergy grasses with the desirable traits needed for
Thomas Content (Journal Sentinel) C5-6 Technologies of Middleton and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison are celebrating a milestone - the awarding of the first patent from the center's next-generation biofuels research. The patent covers research into a heat-resistant
(The Business Journal) EdeniQ, a biofuels technology company based in Visalia, received a $3.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission to help in its efforts of researching the commercial potential of cellulosic ethanol. The grant follows $20 million in
by Nick McCrea (Bangor Daily News) A research and technology hub that one day could help wean the United States off foreign oil opened Monday in a former paper products shipping bay on the grounds of Old Town Fuel and
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