Advanced BioFuels USA – Truly Sustainable Renewable Future

New Versatile Process Efficiently Converts Biomass to Liquid Fuel

by Emil Venere (Purdue News) Researchers have demonstrated a new process to convert all biomass into liquid fuel, and the method could make possible mobile processing plants. The researchers at Purdue University filed a patent application on the concept in 2008

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

AG Allies Ask President to Rein in EAP on Biofuels Cuts

(National Corn Growers Association) In a letter sent to President Obama this week, the National Corn Growers Association and several agricultural allies asked him to intervene with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed cuts in the 2014 volume

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

4 minutes with…Sam Jackson, VP, Business Development, Genera Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Regardless of the conversion technology or end product, the biomass must still be produced in an economic and environmentally sound method for the industry to be successful. I believe that the innovations we have

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

Yield Quest for Cellulosic biofuels

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Could a new wave of cellulsoic processes find the key to capturing the carbon lost by today’s technologies — and providing a drive to lower costs that busts through infrastructure barriers? Iogen has been running its

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

U.S. Department Of Energy Loan Program Breaks Even

by Nichola Groom (Reuters/Huffington Post) The controversial government program that funded failed solar company Solyndra, and became a lighting rod in the 2012 presidential election, is officially in the black. According to a report by the Department of Energy, interest payments

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

Energy Department Announces New Investments in Gasification Research

(U.S. Department of Energy) Today, as part of the Administration’s all-of-the-above energy approach, the Department of Energy has selected four projects to receive funding for next-generation gasification systems that also reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Awardees will receive approximately $16

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

Ethanol's Dwindling Discount to Gasoline Could Slow U.S. Biofuel Demand

by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters Africa) Ethanol's smallest discount to gasoline in seven months could reduce demand for U.S. biofuels and make higher ethanol blends such as E85 less profitable, traders and analysts said on Friday. Ethanol's discount to gasoline shrank to

November 13, 2014 Read Full Article

Enerkem Partners with AkzoNobel to Jointly Explore Development of Waste-to-Chemicals Facilities in Europe

(Enerkem/PR Newswire) Enerkem Inc. (www.enerkem.com), a waste-to-biofuels and chemicals producer, today announced it has signed an agreement with AkzoNobel, a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, to develop a project partnership to explore

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

German Study Finds GM Crops Good for Farmers and the Environment

(Food Safety News) The “pro” side in the debate over the benefit of genetically modified foods got a big boost from science this month, with an international study funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

To Boldly Go Where No Biomanufacturing Has Gone Before

(Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News) ... But mass-efficient payloads should be possible, insist researchers at the University of California, provided space explorers make use of nontraditional biological techniques. In particular, these researchers say synthetic biology should give space missions a

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Can Biofuels Make A Comeback?

by Michael Kanellos (Forbes) ... But give biofuel execs credit: they learn from the past. Much of the activity centers around developing fuels and chemicals out of waste products and virtually everyone is adopting strategies to minimize the capital requirements

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Indo-US Joint Effort to Derive Non-Food Biofuels from 2017

by N Madhav (Business Standard) The initiative would work to deliver a model for production using crops like energy sorghum, bamboo, pearl millet and switch grass In a significant step towards generating biofuels from non-food plant sources, the US-India joint consortium for

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

‘Five Years’ Are up for Cellulosic Ethanol

by Tom Doran (AgriNews) There’s a running joke that when a researcher is asked when cellulosic ethanol will be viable, their answer is always “five years away.” That timeframe has officially expired with cellulosic ethanol now being commercially produced at

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Advanced Biofuels USA Signs on to Letter to EPA Urging the Agency to Adopt Volkswagen of America’s Proposal for Establishing the E85 Weighting Factor (“F factor”) for Model Year 2016-2025 Dual Fuel Vehicles.

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA signed on to a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the agency to adopt Volkswagen of America’s proposal for establishing the E85 weighting factor (“F factor”) for model year

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Energy Department Announces New Grant Topics to Help Small Businesses Develop Clean Energy Technologies

(US Department of Energy) The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) today announced nine topics and 26 new subtopics under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (STTR) programs that will help small businesses

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

E85 Sales Have Room for Growth… If Certain Conditions Exist

(MarketWatch/Fuels Institute) There are opportunities to grow the E85 market — but only if prices remain significantly below those of regular grade gasoline and the automobile industry continues to produce flex-fuel vehicles at historic rates, according to a new report

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Wobbling on Climate Change

by Piers J. Sellers (The New York Times) I’M a climate scientist and a former astronaut. Not surprisingly, I have a deep respect for well-tested theories and facts. In the climate debate, these things have a way of getting blurred

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Submits Comments to Washington State on LCFS Draft Report

(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy submitted initial comments to the state of Washington on their draft report regarding the potential implementation of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). Growth Energy’s comments outline how an implementation of a LCFS could potentially

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

PhD Thesis Proposes Use of Ethanol and Heterogeneous Catalysts for Biodiesel Production

(Basque Research) ... Chemical engineer Inés Reyero Zaragoza proposed the substitution of methanol by ethanol for the production of biodiesel and the use of a heterogeneous catalyst, which will “result in a reduction of costs and in the environmental impact

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

4 Minutes with…Chad Joshi, CEO, Altranex Corporation

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Altranex is a developer and marketer of bio-based chemicals including high-quality renewable lubricating base oil, marine fuels, and chemicals for the polymers/plastics industry. ... The industry must overcome the disappointments that has followed the bio-economy’s hyped projections.

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

At the Forefront of Sustainability: Scania Will Deliver about 1,500 Biodiesel Trucks in 2014

(Scania/Automotive World) The company’s broad commitment to alternative fuels and sustainable development is now also becoming visible in the form of strong truck sales. In 2014 alone, Scania expects to deliver about 1,500 Euro 6 trucks in Europe that use

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Manly Plant in Line for $530,000 in State Incentives

by Molly Montag (Globe Gazette) Worth County officials on Monday signed off on $530,000 in state incentives for a chemical plant being built in Manly. The incentive package from the Iowa Economic Development Authority will give New Heaven Chemical $128,000

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Biofuels Market Insights Survey

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week at ABLC Next, PwC’s Brian Carey, at the outset of the first commercial session of the conference, presented results from an incisive industry survey which looked at confidence, growth, and diversification. “The concerns?” Carey

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

Hottest Slides from ABLCNext 2014 – the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Sapphire Energy’s new multi-market product approach Joule’s breakthrough photosynthetic efficiency Cellana – multi-products for algae, just like petroleum READ MORE

November 12, 2014 Read Full Article

WARF Grants License, Takes Stake in Biotech Company Xylome

by Kathleen Gallagher (Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel) The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the technology transfer arm of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has granted a license to and taken a stake in Xylome Corp., a privately-held Madison biotech company. The agreement between WARF

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Verticality: A Key Factor in the Food x Fuel Issue

by Al Costa (Global Biobusiness) ...To this end, it becomes increasingly clear that "verticality" is a key issue. This means crops which occupy little space horizontally and as much space vertically. After all, a crop is free to be

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Rich Countries Subsidising Oil, Gas and Coal Companies by $88bn a Year

(The Guardian) US, UK, Australia giving tax breaks to explore new reserves despite climate advice that fossil fuels should be left buried Rich countries are subsidising oil, gas and coal companies by about $88bn (£55.4bn) a year to explore for new reserves,

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Biodiesel Production with Tilapia Oil Assessed

by Analia Murias (FIS.com) Biodiesel production with tilapia oil assessed Scientists at the State University of West Paraná (UNIOESTE) evaluated tilapia oil performance and acidity according to the kind of waste from this fish, used for processing it in order to

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

4 Minutes with…Mark Beemer, CEO, Aventine Renewable Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... 5. Install corn oil in each Nebraska facility to be sold to biodiesel producers 6. Consider strategy for micro biodiesel plant installation ... 10. Continue supporting blender pumps of E15 to break the blend wall 11. Move corn ethanol

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Scania Seeks Six-Month Extension in Pilot Project

by Anjaya Anparthi (Times of India) Swedish bus maker Scania's ethanol-run bus was introduced in Nagpur two-and-a-half months ago, for a three-month pilot project, in association with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). However, as the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) only recently approved

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Clean Energy Works for Us: Q3 2014 Jobs Report

Clean energy and clean transportation continue to create American jobs and drive economic growth. By tracking job announcements from companies; federal, state and local programs, and initiatives; the media; and other sources, Environmental Entrepreneurs’ (E2’s) jobs reports show how and where

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Trestle Energy Wins Approval For Innovative, Low-Emissions Biofuel Pathway From British Columbia

(Pollution Online/PR Newswire) BC Designates Trestle Energy as Lowest Emissions Ethanol Producer in U.S. Today, Trestle Energy – an American startup with facilities in Mason City, Iowa – announced that British Columbia, Canada has officially approved its groundbreaking process for producing advanced biofuel, clearing the way

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Kander Halts Biodiesel Investment Scam

(Missouri Secretary of State) Secretary of State Jason Kander today issued a cease and desist order against Boyd A. Ware of Centralia, Mo., and his company, Central Missouri Energy, LLC. According to the order, Ware and Central Missouri Energy (CME)

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Bioeconomy Policy for 2015: US Elections, What Happened, What Now?

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) To open ABLC Next, what we like to call the “heads of the 7 families” — or in this case, the heads of seven key trade associations for the advanced bioeconomy, joined us on stage

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Liquid Light, Virent, Rivertop Renewables, NexSteppe Take Top Slots in The 40 Hottest Smaller Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy for 2014-15

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Liquid Light took the #1 spot in the 2014-15 “40 Hottest Smaller Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read advanced bioeconomy daily. It was the first

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Genomatica, Solazyme, Amyris, BASF Take Top Slots in The 30 Hottest Companies in Biobased Chemicals & Materials for 2014-15

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Renewable chemicals developer Genomatica took the #1 spot in the 2014-15 “30 Hottest Companies in Biobased Chemicals and Materials” rankings, published today in The Digest, the world’s most widely-read advanced bioeconomy daily. It is Genomatica’s fourth

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

LanzaTech, GranBio, Algenol and Novozymes Take Top Slots in The 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy for 2014-15

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech took the #1 spot in the 2014-15“50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings, published today inThe Digest, the world’s most widely-read bioeconomy daily. It was first year at the top for LanzaTech, which came in

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

ABO Expands Carbon Utilization Campaign

(Algae Industry Magazine) he Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), has unveiled a new website —recyclecarbon.org — as part of its ongoing campaign to persuade the EPA to explicitly recognize Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies as approved emissions reduction strategies under

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

SkyNRG Nordic Supplies Biofuel to SAS and Norwegian

(SkyNRG Nordic) SAS and Norwegian operate their first commercial flights on SkyNRG Nordic’s bio jet fuel. Today, SAS flies on bio jet fuel from Trondheim to Oslo and Norwegian from Bergen to Oslo. The bio-flights in Norway are done in close cooperation

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Khosla-Backed Biofuel Firm Kior Files Bankruptcy, Plans Sale

by Dawn McCarty and Justin Doom (Bloomberg/Renewable Energy World) Kior Inc., a maker of biofuels from crops such as switchgrass, wood chips and corn husks, filed for bankruptcy protection with a plan to sell its assets to affiliates of backer

November 11, 2014 Read Full Article

Louisiana Biofuels Projects Help Spur Nationwide Green Jobs Growth

by Jennifer Larino (NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune) Louisiana added 225 jobs in the biofuels industry during the third quarter, ranking alongside states such as Texas and Connecticut for clean energy job growth, according to the latest Environmental Entrepreneurs report. The report, which

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

California Soliciting Comments on LCFS Rule Overhaul

by Isabel Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, the Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS) is being overhauled, and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) is requesting input during the rulemaking comment period by November 17th. Two of the issues most important

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

4 Minutes with…Corinne Young, Chief Advocate, re:chem

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (R)e:chemTM was born out of necessity to spearhead US policy for rapid deployment of the renewable chemical industry and resultant cross sector manufacturing growth. ... Re:chemTM’s specific priorities over the next 12 months are securing

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Explores Export Opportunities in Panama and Peru

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy participated in a market development mission with the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association to explore export opportunities for U.S. ethanol in Panama and Peru. Alex Marquis, Logistics Manager of Marquis Energy, represented Growth

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

Ensyn Initiates Generation & Sale of Cellulosic RINs Under the RFS2 Program; Ensyn RINs Are Awarded QAP Status

(MarketWired/Ensyn) Ensyn is pleased to announce that it has initiated the generation and sale of its first RINs (Renewable Identification Numbers) under the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) and that Ensyn's D7 cellulosic RINs have received QAP certification. Ensyn is the

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

The Inside Story of Renewable Energy Group, as CEO Dan Oh Visits with The Digest

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In many ways, REG is the entire industrial biotech business in a nutshell. They’re fermentation (through REG Life Sciences), and thermocatalytic (through REG Geismar and their extensive biodiesel business). They use both sugars and

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

Chicago Based NZ Company LanzaTech Has Helped Develop a Process that Turns CO2 Emissions into Omega-3 Rich Fatty Acids.

(The New Zealand Herald) A leading carbon recycling company has developed a way to turn CO2 emissions into essential omega-3 fatty acids - offering a sustainable alternative to feeding the world's demand for fish oil. Now based in Chicago, New Zealand-founded

November 10, 2014 Read Full Article

Possible Actions on Renewable Energy & Fuels in the 114th Congress

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... In early 2014, (Senator James M.) Inhofe (R-OK) expressed interest in repealing the RFS, and instead focus on expansion of domestic oil and gas drilling. Inhofe wrote that the RFS should be repealed, “allow[ing] ethanol

November 08, 2014 Read Full Article

A View of Biofuels History in the US from the Mountains of Tennessee: An Interview with Genera Energy’s Dr. Sam Jackson (Part 1)

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In January 2006, President George W. Bush said “switchgrass” in his State of the Union Address as he enthusiastically envisioned a renewable transportation fuels future.1 Within weeks, the price of switchgrass seed soared, along

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Building the New Energy Economy

by Justin Heller (Biodiesel Magazine) Akash Energy's retail division Root Fuel intends to change America's relationship with fuel. The company's objective is to utilize the existing, relatively low-cost cardlock infrastructure to create a new consumer fueling experience. The stark reality of the economic,

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Study Shows Ethanol Impact on Retail AG Service Sales

(North Dakota Farmers Union/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol production in North Dakota generates significant income for retail agricultural service and supply dealers, roughly $700 million a year, according to a study recently released by the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

USDA: New Switchgrass Variety Promises More Biofuel at Lower Cost

(USDA Agricultural Research Service/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The release of a new type of switchgrass specifically designed for bioenergy generation has been announced by USDA researchers and their partners. Agricultural Research Service scientists have spent decades working on different projects that contributed to

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Government to Promote Alternative Fuels and Hybrid Engines

(Business Standard) Speaking during the Conference on Biofuel 2014 here today, the Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Godkari said that his Government would take all efforts to remove hurdles in the increased production and usage of biofuels

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Roussef Re-Elected: How It Impacts the Ethanol Sector in Brazil

by Laís Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The final round of the Brazil election happened on October 26th, 2015, and Dilma Roussef, from the Workers Party (PT), was re-elected with 51.4% of the votes. This election was full of unexpected events

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Will Ethanol Ride the GOP Wave?

by Daniel Looker (Agriculture.com) ... Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, another ethanol group, agrees that “biofuels policy is bipartisan and always has been.” But he also looks for more pressure on ethanol in the Senate – not from new

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

4 minutes with…Mike Hart, CEO, Sierra Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Gasification is the missing link between complex feedstocks and a clean synthesis gas for use in a wide variety of biofuel applications. ... Our next project is going to be developing a Zero Waste Innovation Park (ZWIP)

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Crisis Refining, Eni Relies on Biodiesel, No Job Cuts - AD

by Giancarlo Navach (Reuters) Eni aims to solve the problem of refining crisis in Italy - which since 2009 has lost as many as 6 billion Euros and is affected by the continued decline in demand for gasoline and diesel fuel and

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

The 2014 US Midterm Elections: How the Advanced Bioeconomy Industry Saw It

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here are the highlights of industry association reaction to the US Midterms, in which US voters turned sharply right and handed control of the Senate and House to the Republican Party. ... Iowa Senator-elect Joni Ernst, South Dakota

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

Pressure Builds on EPA to Back down on Ethanol Emissions, as Society of Automotive Engineers Issues Stunning Rebuke

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, what has been described within the industry as “The growing movement to call out the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its ethanol emissions testing procedures” picked up support today as a new study

November 06, 2014 Read Full Article

How Can We Get Power to the Poor without Frying the Planet?

by David Robers (Grist) ... Instead, in practice, the other perspective focuses on finding ways for poor countries to leapfrog the fossil-heavy development path taken by today’s rich countries, directly onto a more sustainable, low-carbon path. (Jamais Cascio has a

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

The Biggest Loser in This Election Is the Climate

by Brad Plumer (Vox) In the run-up to the 2014 midterms, a lot of green groups were hoping that this might finally be the election when climate change became a defining issue. ... True, there were small shifts in attitude here and there.

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Connecting the Microcosmos and the Macro World

by Glen Martin (O'Reilly Radar) Christina Agapakis explores the microbiological matrix that binds everything from pecorino to people. ... Agapakis is first and foremost a synthetic biologist and a microbiologist, but she’s not particularly happy with the way the synthetic biology narrative

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

California Air Resources Board (ARB) Overhauls Low Carbon Fuel Standard

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is in the midst of an overhaul of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). Two of the issues most important to the low carbon fuels industry are the carbon intensity curve and cost containment

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Toxic Chemicals in Gasoline Are Killing Americans

by Larry Pearce (The Hill) In 1990, Congress passed the Clean Air Act Amendments and directed the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce the dangerous chemical additives in gasoline. Today, 24 years later, this law has yet to be enforced

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Waiting for Permit, Ethanol-Run Bus Deal Ends on November 21

by Anjaya Anparthi (The Economic Times/India Times) The ethanol-run bus pilot project is set to witness yet more uncertainty in coming days. The agreement signed between Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Swedish bus maker Scania Commercial Vehicles India Limited will

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

History of U.S. Biofuel Mandate Provides Opening for Legal Challenge

by Ayesha Rascoe (Reuters) Probable legal challenges to proposed cuts in the 2014 U.S. biofuel mandate could focus on a two-word phrase dropped from the U.S. law establishing the renewable fuel program back in 2005: distribution capacity. Biofuel producers have argued

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

More Toxicity in Canola-Based Biodiesel

by Rob Payne (Science Network Western Australia) EXHAUST from pure canola oil biodiesel is more lethal for human epithelial cells than that from traditional diesel, new research contends. Epithelial cells, which are found in the lining of the airways and lungs,

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Biofuels Remain an Important and Growing Sector for Developing Countries, New UNCTAD Report Says

(United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) The report entitled: "The State of the Biofuels Market: Regulatory, Trade and Development Perspectives" offers a comprehensive snapshot of today's biofuels market and how it contributes to enhancing access to renewable energy sources

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

REG Expands Biodiesel Offerings in Northeast, Midwest

(Renewable Energy Group Inc./Biodiesel Magazine) Renewable Energy Group Inc. is expanding its division that sells heating oil and petroleum diesel along with biodiesel blends by offering additional biofuel blends in New York, Minnesota and Iowa, the company announced Oct. 31. REG Energy

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Mascoma Catches Its Wascaly Wabbit, as Lallemand Acquires the Mascoma Yeast Business

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, Mascoma Corporation announced that it has completed the sale of its yeast business to Lallemand Inc., a privately owned company that researches, develops, produces and markets yeasts, bacteria, and related products. As part of

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Conservative Swing! Udall, Hagan Fall as US Republicans Take Control of the US Senate

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The most prominent casualties of the night, in terms of the Advanced Bioeconomy, were Democrats Mark Udall of Colorado and Kay Hagen of North Carolina, whose crucial support in 2012 saved the Navy’s biofuels

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

Biofuel Opportunity: Reviving Algae from the (Almost) Dead

by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World) Tucked away in darkness and almost dead, algae can emerge from a frigid and foggy environment to live again — and perhaps even become the seeds for a new beginning that

November 05, 2014 Read Full Article

4 minutes with… Lars Welin, CEO, Taurus Energy

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Taurus Energy is a company working to develop the best possible yeast for fermentation of c5 sugars ... We work with customers and their hydrolysate and try to provide a yeast that can ferment the hydrolysate in a

November 04, 2014 Read Full Article

4 minutes with…Wes Bolsen, Cool Planet, Strategic Partnerships

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... I would put the teeth back in RFS2, that actually had renewable fuel mandates with penalties, or converting RFS2 into a national LCFS program. ... Taking a step back and giving myself time to think is better

November 04, 2014 Read Full Article

A Sustainable, Affordable Diesel Oxygenate

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A bolt-on technology for ethanol plants, costing less than $2 per installed gallon, producing a cellulosic biofuel additive that oxygenates diesel fuel at competitive prices? It’s early stage, but what’s not to like? The

November 04, 2014 Read Full Article

Mary Rosenthal, the Algae Biomass Organization’s First Executive Director, Dies at 56

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mary Gibson Rosenthal, who served as the Algae Biomass Organization’s first executive director and led its initial battles for algae parity on Capitol Hill, died of cancer on Saturday in Minneapolis, MN. She was 56. Her death

November 04, 2014 Read Full Article

Study Finds Use of Biodiesel Lowers Tailpipe Emissions

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On October 29, the Mineta National Transit Research Consortium, a U.S. Department of Transportation Center for Excellence, released a peer-reviewed study that examines the emissions profile of a bus fleet run on a biodiesel blend.

November 04, 2014 Read Full Article

EIA Reports Ethanol Use Has Lowered Gasoline’s Energy Content – Only Half of the Story

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On October 27, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the use of ten percent ethanol in the gasoline supply has lowered gasoline energy’s content by three percent in a 20 year period. According to

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

U.N. Panel Issues Its Starkest Warning Yet on Global Warming

by Justin Gillis (The New York Times) ... Despite growing efforts in many countries to tackle the problem, the global situation is becoming more acute as developing countries join the West in burning huge amounts of fossil fuels, the Intergovernmental Panel

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Funding Opportunity Announcement: Systems Biology Research to Advance Sustainable Bioenergy Crop Development

The fund solicits projects on systems-level research to better understand molecular and physiological mechanisms that control bioenergy crop vigor, RUE, resilience/adaptability, etc., and systems biology-enabled investigations on the role of microbial communities on multi-scaled interactions of the plant-soil environment in

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals Annual Conference May 6-8, 2015 State College, PA DEADLINE: November 8, 2014

The PAEP Annual Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce that the 2015 Annual Conference will take place Wednesday, May 6 - Friday, May 8 at Toftrees Resort located in State College, PA. We need your submissions/suggestions/ideas to help us make

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Economic Analysis of Shrub Willow Biomass Crops

(State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry) EcoWillow 2.0 is the most comprehensive and up-to-date financial analysis tool for shrub willow biomass crops. Originally released in 2008 after over 20 years of research on shrub willow

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Announces Major Sponsorship of FFA Programs

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy is pleased to announce a multi-year commitment and new partnership with the National FFA Organization to build on critical projects that prepare today’s students to become tomorrow’s leaders in American agriculture. The multi-year sponsorship, a first-time

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Transforming Toxic Waste into Green Energy

by Christian Durand (Concordia University) Emerging graduate research at Concordia seeks to turn pulp mills into dynamic biorefineries How can a struggling industry like pulp and paper in Canada be revived? According to Damien Biot-Pelletier, a Concordia PhD candidate in biology, the

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

EU: Reducing the Carbon Content of Transport Fuels

(Balkans News) The European Commission has adopted a proposal to implement existing obligations in the 2009 amendment of the Fuel Quality Directive. Article 7a of the Fuel Quality Directive obliges suppliers to reduce by 6% the life cycle greenhouse gas

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Secretary of Energy Emphasizes Partnership between Brazil and United States in Biofuels Event on Amazon Cooperation

by Laís Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) On October 30, 2014, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz gave the keynote speech at the event “FAPESP-U.S. Collaborative Research on the Amazon,” promoted by a partnership between the Department of Energy (DOE) and

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

API Says Extending Domestic Fuel Supply Lowers Consumer Gas Prices—Who Knew!?

by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Add another file to the Big Oil hypocrisy dossier. Yesterday (October 30, 2014), the American Petroleum Institute (API) released a study arguing that the fracking boom has led to dramatically lower prices for

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Ethanol Advocate Wants to Keep His Issue on the Front Burner

by David Fondler (Pioneer Press/TwinCities.com) To Randall Doyal, ethanol seems like a no-brainer: a renewable, domestically produced automotive fuel that reduces the need for imported oil; that burns clean, reducing harmful greenhouse gases and pollution; that boosts farmers and rural economies

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

4 Minutes With…Susan Pond, Program Leader, Alternative Transport Fuels Initiative, University of Sydney

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Within the next 12 months, I want to see Australia develop strategic policies aimed at: reducing its almost exclusive reliance on imported, liquid fossil fuels for transport energy; mitigating the annual addition of large quantities

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

EU Leaders Slow further Decarbonisation of the Transport Sector from UFOP: Sustainability Certification a Discontinued Model?

(UFOP/Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen) Without a continuation of binding for all Member States targets of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, the Union fears for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP) to phase out

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Building Blocks: LanzaTech, IOC, NatureWorks, Calysta make strides on Omega-3s, lactic acid

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, LanzaTech and a research team from the IOC-DBT Center for Advanced Bio-Energy Research (an entity co-funded by India’s Department of Biotechnology and Indian Oil Corporation Limited) announced the development of a new process

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Carbon Correctness, or Alice in Carbonland

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Let me get this straight. The EPA says that emissions from petroleum are bad. Landfilling carbon is really bad. Climate change is really, really bad. Recycling is good. So far, understood. But now the

November 03, 2014 Read Full Article

Studies Steadily Advance Cellulosic Ethanol Prospects

by Ann Perry (Phys.Org) At the Agricultural Research Service's Bioenergy Research Unit in Peoria, Illinois, field work and bench investigations keep ARS scientists on the scientific front lines of converting biomass into cellulosic ethanol. For instance, one recent research focus has