by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The first E85 station has opened in Richmond, Virginia. In addition, MAPCO Express, has “re-branded” their retail stores under the “East Coast” brand and the three new E85 stations, two near Richmond and one near Washington,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In Maryland, The Wildlife Society released a Technical Review, “Effects of Bioenergy Production on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat,” to provide answers to questions on bioenergy development and wildlife so that site managers might better predict
by Ilya Gelfand, Ritvik Sahajpal, Xuesong Zhang, R. César Izaurralde, Katherine L. Gross & G. Philip Robertson (Nature) ...An alternative is to grow lignocellulosic (cellulosic) crops on ‘marginal’ lands9. Cellulosic feedstocks can have positive environmental outcomes10, 11 and could make up a
by Timothy B. Wheeler (Baltimore Sun) Declaring that Maryland's coastal areas are increasingly at risk from a rising sea level, Gov. Martin O'Malley has ordered state agencies to weigh the growing risks of flooding in deciding where and how to construct
(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
(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
This year the conference theme will explore green chemistry and engineering advancements that will help us meet the challenges of the 21st century and design for a sustainable future. During three days, a wide array of topics will be covered–with
(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
Many restaurants are becoming more energy conscious and are taking initiative, by the simple act of giving up their vegetable oil waste! Now you may ask, what good is left over vegetable oil? Well for starters, chefs use a ton
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 Bradley Frieze (Advanced Biofuels USA) On Wednesday, October 3rd, four leading activists for the use of renewable energy sources held a forum at Frederick Community College. This ‘Maryland Energy Forum’ focused mainly on four present energy issues: hydrofracking, coal,
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Climate change may gain more attention during the next legislative session. During a press conference to discuss post-election results broadcast by C-SPAN on Nov. 7, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., stressed how important
(ACORE) The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) released the 2012 edition of its report, Renewable Energy in the 50 States, as an interactive, online resource. Compiling updated financial data, resource potentials, market and policy information in one easily-accessed, online
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s a year of low congressional approval and not much congressional action. But every election is an important one, and there’s lots of unfinished business from this past cycle. Here are nine friends of energy independence
by Sarah Gantz (Baltimore Business Journal) Fiberight LLC has been on the fast track to commercializing owner Craig Stuart-Paul’s technology for turning trash into biofuel since Stuart-Paul founded the company in 2007. READ MORE
(Southern Maryland Online) Kitchen grease may not seem high on the list of valuable items a thief might steal, but the practice has become so widespread and potentially dangerous that the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has launched an online
By Gregg Hennigan (KCRG.com) Iowa City is considering participating in a trash-to-ethanol project that could result in an 80-percent reduction in the amount of solid waste going to its landfill. City staffers have been talking with officials from Maryland-based Fiberight about
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Talk of a possible renewable fuel standard (RFS) waiver request became a reality in mid-August, when the U.S. EPA was officially petitioned. The clock starts on a 90-day deadline and a public comment period
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 Timothy B. Wheeler (Baltimore Sun) A federal jury convicted a Perry Hall man Monday of wire fraud and money laundering for selling $9 million worth of bogus biodiesel credits to commodities brokers and oil companies — a case that has
by Timothy B. Wheeler (The Baltimore Sun) Biodiesel producers told a congressional panel Wednesday that they're struggling to stay afloat in the aftermath of fraud cases uncovered in Baltimore and Texas, and a spokesman for petroleum refiners faulted the Environmental Protection
(ABC2News) ...Princess Anne and Somerset County officials told The Daily Times of Salisbury (http://bit.ly/MEf0Ls ) that they are waiting for state environmental regulators to identify the substance found near a biodiesel plant in the industrial park. State environmental officials began
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new study released today by the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) indicates that a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states could result in doubling gasoline prices and other negative economic impacts. The study, “Analysis of the
(PhysOrg) Just as aspiring authors often read hundreds of books before starting their own, scientists are using decades of knowledge garnered from sequencing or "reading" the genetic codes of thousands of living things to now start writing new volumes in
(Maryland Clean Energy Center/The Current) Serial entrepreneur Craig Stuart-Paul has found a novel formula for growing a business. For the CEO of Fiberight, personal expertise in brewing beer plus innovations in recycling residential waste has added up to a new process
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Some of the first American visitors to Yellowstone, who began to record their journeys into the wilds of northwestern Wyoming during the early 1870s, noted the horrible taste of the water from the hot
(Jackson County Times-Journal) The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff have announced the participants in the 2012 biodiesel and Bioheat® communications program, which helps cities across the United States spread the word about the only commercially available advanced biofuel. The
(The Economist) Green-minded motorists are making car fuel at home, from used cooking oil ...The recipe starts by filtering the breadcrumbs out with a mesh screen. After that you warm the oil up and add sodium hydroxide and methanol. The sodium
by Liz Holland (DelMarVa Now) A biodiesel plant that suffered an explosion in 2008 will get a waiver on finance charges and interest that have accrued on the company's personal property tax bill. ...James Kingdon, Greenlight's president, said he plans to
by Richard Blackwell (CTV News/The Globe and Mail) ...The theft of used oil and grease has become a big problem in Canada, mirroring a trend south of the border. The price of “yellow grease” – what kitchen oil is called
(MarketWatch) ...When most people hear the words "fuel cell," they think of eco-friendly, hydrogen-powered cars that emit nothing more than water. And that, says Professor Eric Wachsman, director of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center (UMERC), is one of the
by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters) ...The EPA has issued 24 notices of violation to more than a dozen companies, including units of Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil and Morgan Stanley, for the use of invalid renewable identification numbers, or RINs, according
(Nebraska Farmer) USDA grant intended to make drivers more aware of flex fuel vehicles and ethanol's benefits involves Nebraska and five other states. A grant awarded by USDA will be used to promote flex fuel vehicles, flex fuel pumps, and driver
(Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency may end up deeming more biodiesel renewable identification numbers (RINs) as invalid following federal investigations into two companies that allegedly sold RINS without producing the appropriate volumes of biodiesel, a lawyer familiar with the
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A new public education project to reach drivers of FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs) by working with state Motor Vehicle Administrations (MVA) was announced today by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Clean Fuels Foundation. As a part
By Richelle Gonzalez (Severna Park Patch) University of Maryland researcher says algae could remove pollutants from agricultural wastewater. The Eastern Shore is known for vast soybean and corn farms, but if Patrick Kangas had his way it would be covered
(GreenMuck.com) A criminal information was filed today charging Rodney R. Hailey, age 33, of Perry Hall, Maryland, with wire fraud, money laundering and a violation of the Clean Air Act, in connection with a scheme in which he allegedly sold $9
(Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs) The Navy reached a milestone in its quest to gain energy independence today, when an MQ-8B Fire Scout successfully flew the first unmanned biofueled flight at Webster Field in St. Inigoes, Md. The Unmanned
(US Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $2 million over three years for six regional awardees to create and administer a network of student-focused business creation competitions and inspire young entrepreneurs to found innovative, clean
(Smith Energy Association) UMD & ACC Partners Get Three-Year, $360,000 Grant to Spur New Generation of Clean Energy Ventures in Southeast The University of Maryland and its Atlantic Coast Conference partners will launch a new, conference-wide Clean Energy Business Challenge in fall
by Lee Slezak (US Department of Energy) The Green Racing program, a motorsports competition geared toward raising awareness of fuel efficiency, alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies, recently hit a major milestone as the state of Wisconsin played host to
by Dave Allport (Key.Aero/military) A US Navy EA-6B Prowler has made the type's first flight on a biofuel blend at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. An EA-6B Prowler successfully completed its inaugural biofuel flight at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, on September 16,
(NewsWise/Johns Hopkins University) Johns Hopkins researchers create man-made system with built-in diversity generator In the quest to understand genomes—how they’re built, how they’re organized and what makes them work—a team of Johns Hopkins researchers has engineered from scratch a computer-designed yeast chromosome
by Stephanie Dreyer (Growth Energy/Baltimore Sun) Letter to Editor: Karen Hosler's recent opinion piece calling for an end to ethanol subsidies ("End the ethanol charade," Aug. 30) uses sweeping generalizations that distort the truth about grain ethanol's role in fostering
by Karen Hosler (The Baltimore Sun) Karen Hosler writes that the great environmental hope has been exposed as a hoax; conservation is a better bet than magic elixirs ...At best, ethanol enthusiasm has always been muted in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
(U.S. Naval Air Systems Command) The Navy’s alternative energy program expanded yesterday when a T-45 training aircraft completed a successful biofuel flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. The “Salty Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23
by David Hughes (Post Carbon Institute) This week the USGS released anew assessment of gas resources in the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin. The report is a reasonable effort by the USGS to sort out some of the wheat from the
(US Navy/Naval Air Systems Command) The Navy and Marine Corps team reached another milestone toward achieving the Secretary of the Navy’s energy goals by successfully flying a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey on biofuel Aug. 10 at Naval Air Station
(EurekAlert!) U.S. production of ethanol for fuel has been rising quickly, topping 13 billion gallons in 2010. With the usual rail, truck and barge transport methods under potential strain, existing gas pipelines might be an efficient alternative for moving this
David Johnston is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aquatic Energy. ABO: Aquatic Energy is the only ABO members whose operations are based in Louisiana. Could you tell us about the company and your current focus? Johnston: We are a biotechnology
by Aaron Hull (Advanced Biofuels USA) On July 7, 2011 the House Science Subcommittee for Energy and Environment held a hearing to discuss the EPA’s decision to issue a waiver for E15 usage in light-duty motor vehicles. The hearing
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) Delving into termite guts to find the best cellulases or lignocellulases to efficiently convert cellulose and hemicelluloses, even lignin, into advanced biofuels isn’t a new concept within the biorefining community, but researchers at Purdue University
(American Agriculturalist) New York and Maryland fairs are first-comers to USB's Green Ribbon Fairs program. This summer, the United Soybean Board and state soybean boards in nine states are kicking off the Green Ribbon Fairs project by using and promoting soybean-based
(Bradenton) Company Expands Technology Portfolio to Include Production of Renewable Chemicals and Advanced Fuels by the Conversion of Existing Ethanol and Biodiesel Production Facilities AE Biofuels, Inc. (OTC:AEBF), a global advanced biofuels company, announced today that it has completed the acquisition
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Researchers from the University of California Berkeley and the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a microbe in a Nevada hot spring that enjoys eating cellulose (aka plant material) at temperatures above the boiling
(The Washington Post) ...Gaithersburg refilled its biodiesel fuel tank at the Public Works Department pumping station in May after stopping the biofuel program in November 2008 when a bacterial buildup in the fuel tank began clogging the filters on the
by Tim Wheeler (Baltimore Sun) An experiment in making "bio-fuel" is slated to get under way this summer at Baltimore's Back River wastewater treatment plant. The city's Board of Estimates approved Wednesday a $255,000 contract with a small Maryland company to grow
by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg) ...Senators Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, and Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, said the 45-cent credit, which is given to oil refiners for each gallon of ethanol they blend with gasoline, was unjustified given the U.S. deficit. The break
by Andrew Schotz (Hagerstown Herald-Mail) A "Go Green Expo" sponsored by U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett drew about 200 people Tuesday to Hagerstown Community College. "On a rainy day, that's great," Bartlett said. The expo, held for the first time in Hagerstown, included
By Robert Kozak (Atlantic Biomass Conversions, Inc.) Worldwide Importance of Protein Animal Feed When I began working with sugar beet processors on our beet pulp biofuel sugar process, one of their first questions was, “Will there still be pulp available to
by Louise Poirier (Fuel Magazine/Ethanol and Biofuels News/Hart Energy) Amid persistent concerns about supplying the enormous energy demands of the United States' armed forces, the military is pursuing alternatives, and the Department of the Navy is leading the way. For
by Ike Wilson (Frederick News Post) Donald C. Erbach recently became the newest board member of Advanced Biofuels USA in Frederick. Erbach has clocked 40 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service with a focus on technologies related
by Matt Hartwig (Renewable Fuels Association/Baltimore Sun) The Sun may have cut back its foreign bureaus, but your editorial writers ("End subsidies for corn-based ethanol," March 14) must still be aware of the turmoil in North Africa and the Middle
Meeting two parts of its mission, to increase the 1) understanding and 2) use of advanced biofuels, Advanced Biofuels USA, a nonprofit educational organization, published a paper and accompanying slide presentation. A revised version of Robert E. Kozak’s paper on
by Annie Snider (New York Times/Greenwire) The Navy Research Laboratory's alternative energy projects -- each costing less than $500,000 -- are modest ventures that barely register in the Pentagon's gargantuan budget. But if history's a guide, what happens there
(American Le Mans Series) The Baltimore Grand Prix today announced at the Washington Auto Show a strategy that would result in it becoming the most sustainable racing event in the U.S. Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le
[caption id="attachment_16299" align="alignleft" width="300"] Warren Brown, automotive columnist for the Washington Post, discusses Congressman Roscoe Bartlett's Open Fuel legislation with Astrid Dorner, US Correspondent for Handelsblatt, Lisa Lyons Wright, Energy and Stem Cell Legislative Assistant and Press Secretary for Congressman
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced January 18, 2011, two grants that will create educational opportunities in math and science for students interested in bioenergy and bio-based products. “Bioenergy and bio-based products hold vast potential as the foundation
(Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board) Grain producers from the state of Maryland announced they have awarded a grant to the Clean Fuels Foundation for a statewide program to increase the sale of high level ethanol blends and support local E85
(Bloomberg/AP) ...The city's spending panel on Wednesday approved a deal with New Generation Biofuels to start burn tests at three city facilities. If the tests are successful, the clean-burning, vegetable-based biofuels would replace heating oil in city buildings. Two Baltimore elementary schools
(Earthtimes/PRNewsWire) LPP Combustion, LLC, a Columbia, Maryland-based innovator in liquid fuel technology, has successfully demonstrated clean and green generation of renewable electric power using both bio-ethanol and bio-diesel. LPP Combustion has developed a
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A mid-Atlantic company may have developed a solution for two of ethanol producers’ main problems: natural gas usage and how to increase demand for their product. ...LPP Combustion LLC may have the answer to the
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) The work of ThermoChem Recovery International has already changed the future for one small Wisconsin community. A small town in the woods of Wisconsin, fresh off the bankruptcy and closing of its century-old paper mill, might
(US Department of Energy) U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced September 8, 2010, the investment of up to $16.5 million for two major research and development (R&D) initiatives that will support the expansion of renewable transportation fuels production. The first initiative
by Stu Hutson (Physorg.com) Termite spit may soon help fill our gas tanks. University of Florida researchers have isolated two enzymes termites use to break up lignin, a tough plant material that is major problem during the production of cellulosic
(New Generation Biofuels) Renewable fuels provider New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc., July 21, 2010 announced that it has filed for a patent application for their new pyrolysis oil based biofuels. "I believe that this is truly a technical breakthrough to have a
(New Generation Biofuels) Company’s Test Burns in the City of Baltimore’s Boilers Shows Significant Emissions Reduction Renewable fuels provider New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc., announced that the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners has approved a long term boiler test and
(Frederick News Post Editorial) ...Last week's Go Green Energy Conference at the Frederick Fairgrounds, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-6th, is further proof, judging by the crowd of visitors and the greater-than-expected number of exhibitors that showed up. The
(LPP Combustion, LLC) LPP Combustion, LLC, a Columbia, MD based innovator in liquid fuel technology, has successfully demonstrated the clean generation of green, dispatchable, renewable power on a 30kW Capstone C30 gas turbine. LPP Combustion has developed a Lean, Pre-mixed,
(PRNewsWire) Renewable fuels provider New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc., May 27, 2010, announced they have filed a patent application on their new glycerin-based biofuel. "We are excited to add this technology to our intellectual property portfolio," said Cary J. Claiborne, CEO and
by Meredith Cohn (The Baltimore Sun) In response to a national call for homegrown, Earth-friendly fuels to fill Americans' gas tanks, a couple of University of Maryland researchers are planting trees. Fuel derived from the hardy, fast-growing common poplar could eventually
Gas money for your tank doesn't grow on trees, but one day you might be filling up with fuel that does. A team of researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Bowie State University is working on ways to
(Atlantic Biomass) Research reported in the December issue of the American Society of Microbiology’s journal Applied and Environment Microbiology on the development of a thermostable enzyme opens the way to a new pathway for low-cost biofuel production using sugar beet
(Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the Journal of the American Society for Microbiology) Directed evolution approaches were used to construct a thermally stabilized variant of Erwinia chrysanthemi pectin methylesterase A. The final evolved enzyme has four amino acid substitutions that together
(Task Force on Renewable Alternative Fuels Final Report) The Task Force on Renewable Alternative Fuels (Chapter 540 of 2007), chaired by Secretary of Agriculture Roger Richardson and staffed by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), consisted of two legislative members, the
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