(Environmental Defense Fund) Mapping the Companies Driving California’s Clean Transportation Future EDF's Green Roads Map, completed with assistance from CALSTART, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), plots the companies demonstrating how clean transportation policies help rather than
California
Back TO HOMENew Analysis Finds that 10 States Could Provide Abundant Agricultural Byproducts for Low-Carbon Fuel and Electricity
(Union of Concerned Scientists) Sustainable practices can turn crop residues and manure into bioenergy without competing with food supplies U.S. agriculture could provide up to 155 million tons of crop residues and 60 million tons of manure to produce clean fuels
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
California Proposes $46.3M for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In California, the California Energy Commission recommended awards of $46.6 million to 11 biofuels and biomethane projects. ... The winning projects and award amounts are: Crimson Renewable Energy LP Bakersfield Biodiesel Production Plant Expansion Project–Phase II $5,000,000 American Biodiesel, Inc.
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Some Steam in the Summer of Algae 2014
(Algae Biomass Organization) Every summer ABO members and supporting organizations make announcements, host events, and tell the story of the algae industry’s exciting growth that is creating new jobs, new sources of domestic fuels, food, feed and other products. Over the past
July 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Perea Bill Would Delay California Cap-and-Trade for Gas
by Jeremy B. White (Sacramento Bee) Democratic fissures over California's cap-and-trade mandates deepened on Thursday, with a key moderate Democrat introducing a bill to push back a looming rule expected to cause a spike in prices at the pump. Assembly Bill 69
July 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Research Projects to Improve Plant Feedstocks for Bioenergy Production: Departments of Agriculture and Energy Announce Projects in 10 States
(US Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today (July 17, 2014) announced the selection of 10 projects that are being awarded funding aimed at accelerating genetic breeding programs to improve
July 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Edeniq and Global Bio-Chem to Develop and Commercialize Corn Stover to Industrial Sugars Conversion Technology
(Edeniq/BusinessWire) Edeniq, Inc. (“Edeniq”), a cellulosic sugar producer, announced it has signed a letter of intent with Global Bio-chem Technology Group Company Limited (“Global Bio-chem,” HKG:0809) to develop and commercialize processes to convert corn stover to industrial sugars for use in the
July 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Solar Fuels: How Close, How Real?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Could a liquid fuel technology emerge that connects solar PV to the efficiency of electric engines — but, this time with long driving range and near-instant refueling instead of laborious recharging? And, could the liquid fuel
July 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Aemetis Announces U.S. EPA Approval and E.U. ISCC Certification for Distilled Biodiesel
(Aemetis) Company produces high-quality distilled biodiesel at India plant Aemetis, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTX) announced that the company has received EPA approval for the issuance of D4 RINs upon the importation into the U.S. of biodiesel produced from waste fats and oils (WFO).
July 10, 2014 Read Full Article
How Two Small New York Towns Have Shaken up the National Fight over Fracking
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) The multibillion-dollar Anschutz Exploration Corp., which helped make its founder, Philip Anschutz, one of the richest men in America, filed a lawsuit three years ago against Dryden, a small town in Upstate New York. The issue: Dryden
July 03, 2014 Read Full Article
LCFS Developments: Proposal to Simplify Application Process
by John Sens (EcoEngineers/Biodiesel Magazine) On May 31, the California Air Resources Board held a workshop outlining some of its proposed changes to the low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) program. Among the changes proposed were those related to the new
July 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Ceres Initiates Field Evaluations of its Biotech Traits in Sugarcane
(Ceres) Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE), an agricultural biotechnology and seed company, will evaluate a number of its biotech traits in sugarcane in South America. Plantings were recently completed and preliminary performance observations will be available by the end of the
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
California Low-Carbon Rule Survives Big Legal Challenge
By Dale Kasler (Sacramento Bee) California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, one of the centerpieces of the state’s fight against global warming, survived a significant legal challenge Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a lawsuit brought by oil-industry and out-of-state farm
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Intrexon Makes Farnesene from Methane: Hot Route to Low-Cost Jet Fuels and Diesels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Second Product of Intrexon’s Proprietary Bioconversion Platform Following Isobutanol Who’s happy, who’s bumming — and how far along is the work, really? The Digest looks at Intrexon’s breakthrough. Gas-to-Liquids approach significantly more cost-efficient versus conventional
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Tequila Sunrise: Byogy, AusAgave Sign Pact to Advance Agave as Aviation Biofuels Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) It’s been known as a source of fiber, and tequila. But exotically high per acre yields and sugar content, and adaptability for low-water and marginal land prompt a key hook-up between Byogy and AusAgave. Can agave transform
June 17, 2014 Read Full Article
OBN West Coast Partners- California Bioproduct Innovation and Commercialization
by Milsa Vijayadharan* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Developments of OBN west coast partners was the focus of the latest presentation by OBIC Bioproducts Network. The presentation is a part of the bioproducts commercialization webinar series. The webinar was conducted on May
June 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Oil Industry Kills California Assembly Bill to Support Biofuel Expansion
by Peter Waldman (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) The oil industry did some intellectual gymnastics last week over California’s low-carbon fuel standard, a 2007 mandate that gasoline refiners reduce the carbon intensity of their transportation fuels 10 percent by 2020. After arguing for
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Edeniq Validates Ethanol Yield Increases
(Edeniq/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Edeniq Inc., a biomaterials and sustainable fuels company, has announced the successful performance of its Pathway Validation Facility. Edeniq’s Pathway Platform is a proprietary, integrated platform that produces cellulosic ethanol inside existing corn ethanol plants. The pilot
June 10, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA Awarding $6 Million to Prepare Farmers for New Farm Bill Programs
(US Department of Agriculture) Farm Bill Implementation Continues at Brisk Pace with Universities and State Cooperative Extension Programs Now Set to Help Educate Farmers Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $6 million
June 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Potential to Grow Biofuel Feedstock on PV Farms
by Ker Than( Stanford University/Biomass Magazine) Growing agave and other carefully chosen plants amid photovoltaic panels could allow solar farms not only to collect sunlight for electricity but also to produce crops for biofuels, according to new computer models by Stanford
June 02, 2014 Read Full Article
EPA Funds Cook Stoves Research to Ameliorate Air Quality and Mitigate Climate Change
By Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuel USA) If the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) systematic analysis study of 2010 is anything to go by, then by the time you are done reading this article about 35 people would probably be dead
May 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Managing Climate Risks in the Southeast
By Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuels USA). The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) hosted a briefing, on May 22, on Capitol Hill, examining the current and projected impacts of climate change in the Southeast, and efforts to manage these risks.
May 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Making Money from Lignin: Roadmap Shows How to Improve Lignocellulosic Biofuel Biorefining
by Brett Israel (Georgia Institute of Technology) When making cellulosic ethanol from plants, one problem is what to do with a woody agricultural waste product called lignin. The old adage in the pulp industry has been that one can make
May 27, 2014 Read Full Article
Future Uncertain for Ukiah Biodiesel Producer
by Justine Fredericksen (Daily Journal News) Cash-strapped Yokayo Biofuels is for sale ... "The grant was to install an enzymatic process that would increase our capacity by about 75 percent, which would dramatically increase the yield we get, and dramatically change
May 27, 2014 Read Full Article
ACT Expo 2014- North America’s Largest Clean Fleet Expo
by Milsa Vijayadharan* (Advanced Biofuels USA) ACT Expo 2014, co-located with NVG Global 2014, was held on May 5-8 in Long Beach CA. It was the largest clean transportation industry gathering in North America. The four day program was on
May 23, 2014 Read Full Article
House Committee Passes Anti-Biofuel Amendments in Markup Session
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) On May 7, the House Armed Service Committee held a markup session on H.R. 4435, the fiscal year 2015 national defense authorization bill. During that markup session, committee members voted in favor of three amendments that
May 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Genetic Assets from Mendel Added to Product Development Program
(REPREVE® RENEWABLES, LLC) REPREVE® RENEWABLES, LLC, announced today it has purchased certain genetic assets or germplasm for its giant miscanthus grass product development program from Mendel biotechnology, Inc., a privately held company in Hayward, Calif. The purchase adds Mendel’s diverse miscanthus
May 19, 2014 Read Full Article
Lignin Valorization: Improving Lignin Processing in the Biorefinery
by Arthur J. Ragauskas, Gregg T. Beckham, Mary J. Biddy, Richard Chandra, Fang Chen, Mark F. Davis, Brian H. Davison, Richard A. Dixon, Paul Gilna, Martin Keller, Paul Langan, Amit K. Naskar, Jack N. Saddler, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Gerald A. Tuskan,
May 16, 2014 Read Full Article
California Council on Science and Technology Releases Report on Expanding Biofuels in California
(California Council on Science and Technology) Advanced biofuels have the potential to provide California with economic opportunities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the state's climate and clean air policies. However, the state may not have sufficient incentives in
May 14, 2014 Read Full Article
A Tale of Two Solazymes: SZYM Reports for Q1 and the Analysts Offer Cheers, Jeers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, depnding on which analyst you follow. With price targets ranging from $4 to $18 — and warnings from one end over delays at
May 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Ceres Expands Mexican Operations
(Los Angeles Business Journal) Energy crop developer Ceres Inc. said Monday it was expanding its plant breeding development in Mexico. The Thousand Oaks company has a facility in Jalisco where it conducts research on sweet sorghum, a crop that it is
May 06, 2014 Read Full Article
New Gift Helps Caltech Address Global Challenges in Clean Energy and Sustainability
(California Institute of Technology) A new $15 million gift by Lynda and Stewart Resnick in support of the Resnick Sustainability Institute at Caltech will help scientists and engineers advance research aimed at helping humanity sustainably meet its needs for energy, food, clean
May 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Springboard Biodiesel Announces Grand Opening of New Closed Local Loop Production Facility
(Springboard Biodiesel/PR.com) California based, clean-tech manufacturer Springboard Biodiesel launches fully automated, zero-waste biodiesel production plant that is designed for low-cost production of multiple feedstocks. Capable of producing up to 1,500 gallons per day, the facility currently processes locally collected UCO
April 29, 2014 Read Full Article
21 States Ask Supreme Court to Review California’s LCFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Several states are joining the fight to take a legal dispute over California’s low carbon fuels standard (LCFS) to the U.S. Supreme Court. On April 21, a group of 21 states filed a brief
April 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Scientists Make Ethanol Without Corn or Other Crops
by Will Dunham (Reuters Africa) ... The scientists said their process turns carbon monoxide gas into liquid ethanol with the help of an electrode made of a form of copper. They said the new technique may be more environmentally friendly and efficient
April 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Alternative Financing Options Subject of Calif. Workshop
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The California Energy Commission Lead Commissioner on the 2014 Integrated Energy Policy Report Update conducted a workshop aimed at alternative financing options and strategies to support the development and implementation of transportation technologies which
April 28, 2014 Read Full Article
CEC Issues Final Report on OMEGA System
(Algae Industry Magazine) The California Energy Commission (CEC) has just issued their “final” report on the Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae (OMEGA) approach to algae cultivation and wastewater remediation. Outlining the research findings for the multiyear OMEGA project,
April 25, 2014 Read Full Article
SANDAG Awarded $300K Grant for Alternative Fuels Plan
by Chris Nichols (San Diego Union Tribune) Grant is part of state's effort to fund clean transportation projects Regional efforts to reduce transportation emissions received a boost this week with the award of a $300,000 state grant to complete an Alternative
April 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol from Energy Beets: A Viable Option?
by Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Fuel World) US farmers are exploring the use of energy beets to produce ethanol. Requiring less water and containing more sugar than corn, they could be just what the market needs. Corn remains the undisputed ethanol king.
April 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Dr. Stephen Mayfield: When Will Algae-based Transportation Fuels Be Economically Viable?
by Stephen Mayfield (International Society for Applied Phycology Newsletter) I am often asked, “When will algae-based transportation fuels be commercially available?” My answer tends to be that they are available now, and have been since roughly 1900. In fact, algae-based fuels
April 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Media Invited to California Briefing, Tour Highlighting Alternative Jet Fuel Research
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration/PR NewsWire/Yahoo!News) An HU-25C jet from NASA's Langley Research Center will be in California next month as part of a flight test to assess biofuel and other jet fuel alternatives. News media representatives are invited to
April 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Scripps, UCSD Algae Biofuel Programs Rated Top In US By DOE
(Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego/Biodiesal Magazine) Fossil fuel use, even with the environmental and economic security challenges it poses, remains the dominant source of energy in the U.S. But its 80-percent share of the energy supply could be diminished
April 15, 2014 Read Full Article
The California Drought Equation Stresses Need For Biofuels
by Peter Brown( Biofuels Magazine) Except for volume, biofuels and petroleum-derived products have reached parity in production efficiency and availability. What that means is that anything pulled from the earth can now be created from sources growing on the earth
April 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Potential to Grow Biofuel Feedstock on PV Farms
by Ker Than (Stanford University/Biomass Magazine) rowing agave and other carefully chosen plants amid photovoltaic panels could allow solar farms not only to collect sunlight for electricity but also to produce crops for biofuels, according to new computer models by
April 14, 2014 Read Full Article
CARB’s ILUC Analysis Out of Date, Out of Step with Current Independent ILUC Studies
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has submitted comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) pertinent to CARB’s draft indirect land use change (ILUC) analysis. Geoff Cooper, RFA’s senior vice president, notes in his submission that RFA is greatly concerned
April 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Can Warplanes Fly Farther, Carry More Weapons, with Advanced Biofuels? More New Data.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... A China Lake-based research team finds terpene fuels that add 13% to the performance, compared to fossil fuels. We take a look at the new breed of renewable fuels — with a Q&A to explore
April 14, 2014 Read Full Article
NASA Signs Agreement with German, Canadian Partners to Test Alternative Fuels
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration/PRNewsWire) NASA has signed separate agreements with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to conduct a series of joint flight tests to study the atmospheric effects of emissions from jet engines burning alternative
April 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Toxic Emission Spikes at Fracking Sites Are Rarely Monitored, Study Finds
by Lisa Song and Jim Morris (InsideClimateNews.org) Gas drilling facilities have sporadic emission spikes that spew toxins harmful to human health, but states rarely monitor these fleeting events. People in natural gas drilling areas who complain about nauseating odors, nosebleeds and
April 04, 2014 Read Full Article
About the Fossil Fuel Divestment Convergence 2014
(StudentsDivest.org) From April 4th to 6th, 300 students from over 75 colleges and universities from across the United States and Canada will gather at San Francisco State University for the 2nd annual student-led Fossil Fuel Divestment Convergence. In February 2013,
April 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Springboard Biodiesel Donates Processor to Nonprofit Organization
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Biodiesel equipment manufacturer Springboard Biodiesel has donated a BioPro 380 processing unit to the Center for Sustainable Energy Farming, a Torrance, Calif.-based nonprofit research organization. The BioPro 380 converts a wide variety of fats, oils and greases into
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
X-Crobes: Kuraray Invests in Amyris, What’s Next for Synth-Bio and Performance Molecules?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In California, Amyris and Kuraray announced the expansion and extension of their ongoing collaboration in high performance polymers using Biofene, Amyris’s brand of renewable farnesene. Amyris and Kuraray launched the collaboration in 2011 with an initial
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
VIASPACE Signs Giant King Grass Contract for Bio Electricity and Advanced Biofuels In Imperial Valley California
(VIASPACE) VIASPACE Inc. (OTCQB: VSPC) today announced that the company has signed a contract with Mesquite Lake Water and Power LLC to provide Giant King Grass for a biomass power plant and a companion advanced biofuels facility in Imperial, California. Mesquite Lake
April 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Microbial Synthesis of Pinene
Stephen Sarria , Betty Wong , Hector García Martín , Jay D. Keasling, and Pamela Peralta-Yahya (ACS Synthetic Biology) The volumetric heating values of today’s biofuels are too low to power energy-intensive aircraft, rockets, and missiles. Recently, pinene dimers were
April 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Resistance is Not Futile: Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Engineer Resistance to Ionic Liquids in Biofuel Microbes
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a multi-institutional partnership led by Berkeley Lab, have identified the genetic origins of a microbial resistance to ionic liquids and successfully
April 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Making Silk Purses from Sows Ears: Converting Waste Into Energy and Biofuels, Pt 1 and 2
by Tim Sklar (Biofuels Digest) Part 1 ... It seems that many of the companies providing new biofuels technologies do not fully understanding the competitive environment that they must navigate. As a consequence they fail to develop strategies that will allow
March 27, 2014 Read Full Article
DNA Analysis Strategy Aids in Study of Biofuel Feedstocks
by Chris Hanson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Researchers from Michigan State University, U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published the largest soil DNA sequencing effort. “The Great Prairie represents the largest expanse of the world’s most
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Report: Biofuels, Other Factors to Lower Fuel Demand in Calif.
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Bloomberg New Energy Finance has published a new white paper that provides analysis of California’s transportation fuel market. The paper, titled “2020 California transport outlook: the decarbonisation drive,” highlights the impacts of the renewable
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
More Ethanol-to-Crude Rail Facility Conversions Unlikely in California: Analyst
(Platts) More conversions of California ethanol rail unloading terminals to crude service are unlikely, following Kinder Morgan's switch of its Richmond, California, unloading facility, an analyst said Monday. "The other big [ethanol] terminals aren't as close to refiners, and there is
March 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Joint Statement: Ethanol Industry Files to Take LCFS Fight to United States Supreme Court
(Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy) Following the January decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to deny rehearing en banc in the litigation regarding California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth
March 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Carbon Market Lessons and Global Policy Outlook
by Richard G. Newell, William A. Pizer, Daniel Raimi (Science Magazine) Prices in the European Union's (EU) Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) spent 2013 at historic lows. Elected officials have promised to repeal the Australian carbon market. Yet five new regional carbon
March 21, 2014 Read Full Article
California Soil Toxins Worsened by Drought
by Dennis Pollock (Western Farm Press) Salinity and scarcity of water were very much in the spotlight at the 2014 California Plant and Soil Conference in Fresno. Multiple speakers showed pictures of what they labeled “California snow,” salt that had precipitated out
March 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Vertimass Licenses ORNL Biofuel-to-Hydrocarbon Conversion Technology
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) Vertimass LLC, a California-based start-up company, has licensed an Oak Ridge National Laboratory technology that directly converts ethanol into a hydrocarbon blend-stock for use in transportation fuels. The ORNL technology offers a new pathway to biomass-derived renewable
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Call for 2015 Leopold Leadership Fellowship Applications Now Open
The Leopold Leadership Program seeks applications from outstanding midcareer academic environmental researchers from North America for the 2015 Leopold Leadership Fellowships. The program provides researchers with the skills, approaches, and theoretical frameworks for translating their knowledge to action and for
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
California Energy Commission Gives Pixley Biogas Final Grant Approval
by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine) California-based Pixley Biogas has been given final approval for a $4.68 million dollar grant from the California Energy Commission. Located in southwestern Tulare County, Calif., the anaerobic digester will take in dairy farm manure as
March 17, 2014 Read Full Article
This St. Patrick’s Day,Choose a Truly “Green” Beer
(National Biodiesel Board) Before you lift that green beer on St. Patrick’s Day, why not select one that comes from a “green” brewery? Many breweries throughout the U.S. and Canada have robust sustainability initiatives that include using biodiesel. One example is a
March 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Developers of Project to Convert Sugar Beets into Ethanol Looking for Commitment from Growers
by Dave Kolpack (Associated Press/Star Tribune) Backers of a proposed project in North Dakota that would turn a variety of sugar beets into ethanol have preached patience for the last five years. Now they're looking for a commitment from farmers
March 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Scientists Urge CARB to Revisit LCFS Land Use Change Penalties
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) According to the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and other media organizations, 14 scientists and researchers submitted a letter to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on March 6 urging the agency to meaningfully reduce its
March 11, 2014 Read Full Article
California to Consider Updating ILUC for Biofuels
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is holding two public workshops regarding the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) this week – one to discuss general updates to the LCFS regulation, and the second to discuss updates to the
March 11, 2014 Read Full Article
E85 Fueling Station Availability Is Increasing
(US Department of Energy Energy Information Administration) The number of retail fueling stations offering motor fuel that can be up to 85% ethanol, known as E85, has grown rapidly since 2007. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), Minnesota continues
March 10, 2014 Read Full Article
California Air Resources Board to Hold Hearing on Biodiesel March 20
(California Air Resources Board) ARB's diesel fuel regulations are geared toward controlling criteria pollutant emissions from hydrocarbon-based fuels and are not intended to provide a market pathway for alternative diesel fuels (ADF), such as biodiesel. With the advent of the policies
March 08, 2014 Read Full Article
The Hunt for Hydrogen and Hydro-Riches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “You will never have enough affordable hydrogen.” Perhaps that is the attractor in the news from little-known Solarvest Bioenergy, when they announced third party confirmation of their bio-hydrogen expression system following the successful completion of a six
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
PeaceEnergy Launches Crowd-Sourced Fundraising to Fuel Motorbikes with Ethanol in Vietnam
(PeaceEnergy) Mobile Payment Technology for E-85 Fuel KIOSK Vietnam 40 million motorbikes Vietnam's mandate is to reduce Green House Gases for a cleaner Planet. PeaceENERGYs Mobile Payment Fuel KIOSK will use E-85 & E-100 for 40 million motorbikes. PeaceENERGY's Technology can implement
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Springboard Biodiesel Opens Buyer's Club for Local Biodiesel Consumption
(Springboard Biodiesel/PR Web) Chico-based biodiesel equipment manufacturer, Springboard Biodiesel, continues to diversify with launch of local fuel sales. Springboard Biodiesel, a leading provider of small-scale biodiesel processing systems, has announced the creation of a local biodiesel buyers club for interested individuals
March 06, 2014 Read Full Article
The Race to Capture, Use and Monetize Waste CO2
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Reduce carbon? Rid the world of excess CO2? Not so fast, buster. A new generation of technologies has come along that capture, re-purpose and monetize CO2 emissions. Will they realize their promise? As Liquid Light steps out of
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
UC San Diego Takes Top Two Positions in National Rankings for Biofuel Research
(University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography) Department of Energy report rates Scripps Institution of Oceanography lab and UC San Diego consortium as country’s best in algae technology research A new report issued by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
The 10 Hottest Trends in Algae
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Algae has been touted as the ultimate platform for fuels, chemicals, nutraceuticals, proteins — even cancer therapies. There’s been a rate of progress that would impress any devotee of Moore’s Law — and a series of
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
From the Sea to the Pump: Is Kelp a Viable Biofuel?
by Bruce Dorminey (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) Brown kelp macroalgae — the strange, foul-smelling seaweed so often found washed up on the Pacific Northwest’s volcanic sand beaches — could ultimately offer an almost unlimited global supply of commercial-quality ethanol or biomethane. ... Although in the U.S.
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Targray to Market Biodiesel from Bakersfield, Calif., Terminal
(Targray Technology International Inc./Biodiesel Magazine) Targray, a leader in North American biodiesel supply, is pleased to announce a new inventory location for biodiesel in Bakersfield, Calf. Service for B99 and B100 began in mid-February. Targray will supply biodiesel to its
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Regional Industry Cluster Opportunity (RICO II) Grant Awarded to Fresno State
(Clean Energy Cluster San Joaquin Valley) The Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) at Fresno State was awarded $158,013 from the California Workforce Investment Board for a Regional Industry Cluster of Opportunity II (RICO II) grant. Through this grant, OCED will leverage
February 26, 2014 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources: Why Small Is the New Big
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ... Greenbelt’s strategy is working with local communities to convert their waste to biofuels that are then used locally. And for a small community, a “small-scale,” system can range between 500,000 gallons per year (gpy) up to
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Is Asset to State, Nation
by Bill Jones (Fresno Bee/Pacific Ethanol) The Bee published a commentary on Feb. 14 by Tom Tanton titled "Making Ethanol is Wasting California's Water." The premise of the opinion piece was that the nation's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that sets
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
California to Expand Low Carbon Fuel Standard to 2030 with More Stringent Targets
by Herman Wang (Platts) California plans to expand its first-in-the-nation Low Carbon Fuel Standard with more aggressive emissions-reduction rules through 2030, even as the current program faces a possible US Supreme Court challenge. ... In the scoping plan, which outlines how CARB
February 13, 2014 Read Full Article
2013 Pacific Rim Biofuels and Biotechnology Summit Report: the Golden Age of Advanced Biofuels Is Coming
by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Good news for mankind worried about getting a more sustainable world: it is expected that the next few years will be decisive for the future of advanced biofuels and bioenergy with the establishment
February 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Crimson Renewable Energy Wins $5 Million Award for Expansion of Ultra-low Carbon Biodiesel Production
(Crimson Renewable Energy) Crimson Renewable Energy LP (Crimson) of Denver, the largest producer of ultra-low carbon biodiesel fuel in California, announced today that it has been awarded a $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel
February 11, 2014 Read Full Article
XTRM Announces Mobile Cannabis/Hemp To Biodiesel Unit
(Baystreet.CA/AccessWire) Extreme Biodiesel, Inc. (PINK:XTRM) today announced that the Company wholly owned subsidiary XTRM Cannabis Ventures has just completed assembly of its first Mobile Hemp To Biodiesel Production Unit. XTRM Cannabis Ventures will begin marketing and posting specs for the Mobile
February 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Pathfinder: Sierra Energy Heads for a World beyond Garbage, Traditional Power, Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...One of these days, someone might make a commercial in which the protagonists find a detour around some methane-reeking Mt. Garbage, crowning peak in a range of towering landfill mountains. In the foreground, impassable mountains
February 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Why the Promise of Cheap Fuel from Super Bugs Fell Short
by Martin LaMonica (MIT Technology Review) The sell-off of synthetic biology pioneer LS9 goes to show that making biofuels from genetically engineered microbes has yet to deliver economically. ... LS9 had hoped to be selling diesel to refineries at least two years
February 06, 2014 Read Full Article
The Energy YoYo: When Will Renewables Replace Oil & Gas?
by Peter Brown (Biodiesel Magazine/International Procurement Tools Inc.) We may already be over the tipping point where greenhouse gases (GHG) have so altered the delicate balance in nature that climate changes are irreversible. Two worlds have collided and what may
February 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Students and Companies Worldwide Invited to Join Open-Source Embry-Riddle Project to Develop Renewable Jet Fuel
(GreenAirOnline) Senior students at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Prescott, Arizona are taking part in an open-source project to develop jet biofuel. The ‘CapStone’ project is also inviting the participation of students and academics from universities around the world
February 06, 2014 Read Full Article
The Problem with Corn Oil Biodiesel
by Shashi Menon (EcoEngineers/Biodiesel Magazine) Over the past two years, the use of nonfood-grade (NFG) corn oil for biodiesel production has grown tremendously. Corn oil biodiesel is eligible for a D4 RIN under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), and California's low
February 05, 2014 Read Full Article
New Technique Makes "Biogasoline" from Plant Waste
(UC Davis) Gasoline-like fuels can be made from cellulosic materials such as farm and forestry waste using a new process invented by chemists at the University of California, Davis. The process could open up new markets for plant-based fuels, beyond
February 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Aemetis Announces Commissioning of Biodiesel Distillation Unit at India Plant
(Aemetis) Aemetis, Inc. (OTCQB: AMTX), an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company, announced today that its 50 million gallon per year capacity biodiesel and refined glycerin production facility in Kakinada, India has been upgraded to produce high-quality distilled biodiesel. The
February 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Native Plant May Be Next Source of Biofuel
by Antoine Abou-Diwan (Imperial Valley Press) It doesn’t look like much at the moment, but research at a small field here may one day yield a domestic source of biofuel. Researchers at the University of California Desert Research & Extension
January 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Low-Cost Biodiesel Production
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As federal biodiesel policy uncertainty rises, low-cost biodiesel production with new technologies to allow processing of cheaper, lower quality feedstocks, is paramount. Biodiesel Magazine provides a cross-section of new technologies being deployed. ... If the final (EPA
January 15, 2014 Read Full Article
The Digest's Bioeconomy Achievement Awards for 2013-14
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beta Renewables, Abengoa, Enerkem, Proterro among the winners for Project of the Year — as residues and waste are keys to the big wins. For Fuel of the Year, Renewable Chemical of the Year, Product
January 03, 2014 Read Full Article
ARB Delays New Biodiesel Rules To Address South Coast NOx Concerns
(Inside EPA) State air board officials this week postponed until March the possible adoption of new rules for biodiesel and other "alternative diesel" fuel blends, in order to consider last-minute concerns raised by South Coast air district officials that the
December 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Report Addresses Compliance Costs of California's LCFS
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) A recent report authored by two University of California, Davis researchers examines the economics of the California low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) program. According to information released by the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies,
December 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Start-Up Uses Plant Seeds for a Biofuel
by Todd Woody (New York Times) ... Hailed about six years ago as the next big thing in biofuels, jatropha attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, only to fall from favor as the recession set in and as growers
December 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Community Fuels Awarded $4.9 Million Grant for Expansion
(Community Fuels/Biodiesel Magazine) Community Fuels was awarded a grant from the California Energy Commission of more than $4.9 million to support the expansion of Community Fuels’ advanced biorefinery at the Port of Stockton, Calif. The grant solicitation was entitled “Commercial
December 26, 2013 Read Full Article
Bills to Extend Tax Credits Benefiting Biofuels Introduced
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Dec. 12, Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., introduced two bills that would benefit the biofuels industry. One, H.R., 3758, aims to extend the second generation biofuel producer credit and the special allowance for second
December 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Hot Sugar! Sweetwater Energy to Supply Pacific Ethanol with Industrial Sugars for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, Sweetwater Energy and Pacific Ethanol announced a project to supply customized industrial sugars for the production of cellulosic ethanol. The agreement supports the construction of a cellulosic biorefinery, contingent upon Sweetwater Energy
December 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Help, I’ve Fallen and My Enterprise Can’t Get Up: Goldilocks, Right-Sizing and Synth-Bio
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The story of Pareto Biotechnologies, RuBisCo, the pesky failures of evolution, and help for those who have fallen and can’t get up, via a right-sized approach. Not too high a goal, not too low. Not
December 16, 2013 Read Full Article
A Tale of Two Californians
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As Senator Barbara Boxer nixes action on Renewable Fuel Standard reform legislation through the Environment and Public Works committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein co-sponsors a bill to strip corn ethanol out of the RFS altogether. Just
December 13, 2013 Read Full Article
What Role for Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in Mitigation Policy?
by J. K. Shoemaker, D. P. Schrag, M. J. Molina, V. Ramanathan (Science Magazine) Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) include methane (CH4), black carbon (BC), tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). They are important contributors to anthropogenic climate change, responsible for as much
December 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Senators Could Dethrone King Corn in Ethanol Standards
by Clare Foran (National Journal) Senators are working on separate bills to aggressively reduce the amount of corn-based ethanol required under the renewable-fuel standard. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member David Vitter, R-La., touted legislation
December 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Senate Hearing Addresses 2014 RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works held a hearing Dec. 11 on the U.S. EPA’s proposed rule to set 2014 volume requirements under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The hearing, titled
December 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Sapphire Energy And Phillips 66 To Advance Commercialization Of Algae Crude Oil
(Sapphire Energy/PR NewsWire) Agreement to Co-Process Algae Crude Oil with Conventional Crude Oil and Complete Fuel Certifications Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world leaders in algae-based Green Crude oil production, and Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX), an integrated energy manufacturing and logistics
December 10, 2013 Read Full Article
Forfieted Idaho Beet Sugar Used for Ethanol
by John O'Connell (Capital Press) Ethanol plants in Idaho, Oregon and California are making ethanol from beet sugar forfeited by Amalgamated Sugar Co. Pacific Ethanol plants in Burley, Boardman, Ore., and Stockton, Calif., have started making ethanol for the first time utilizing
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
LanzaTech, Earth Energy, PGF Biofuels, Elevance Make Bioeconomy Waves with Announces
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (I)t has been an incredibly strong week for innovation, with key announcements that advance the narrative at LanzaTech, Elevance, Earth Energy renewables (e.g. “the technology that once pwoered Terrabon, and PGF Biofuels (the first
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Brown Algae Being Engineered for Food and Bio-Ethanol
(Algae Industry Magazine) European Biotechnology News reports that researchers, together with Norwegian and Chilean bioethanol producers, have developed advanced techniques to produce food and bio-ethanol from brown algae, which does not require arable land, fresh water or fertilizers. Until now, cultivation
December 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Tap into Sugar Cane, Sorghum for Fuel-Grade Ethanol
by James Palen (The Daily Transcript/San Diego Source) ... Brawley-based California Ethanol + Power is bringing the matter closer to home. The company has yet to build its first facility, but by possibly the first quarter of 2014, it looks to break ground on
November 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Study: US Spewing 50% More Methane than EPA Says
by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press/US News and World Report) The United States is spewing 50 percent more methane — a potent heat-trapping gas — than the federal government estimates, a new comprehensive scientific study says. Much of it is coming
November 25, 2013 Read Full Article
UCLA Develops Metabolic Pathway to Convert Sugars into Biofuels
(University of California) University of California, Los Angeles chemical engineering researchers have created a new synthetic metabolic pathway for breaking down glucose that could lead to a 50 percent increase in the production of biofuels. The new pathway is intended to
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Can Algae Clean Water, then Feed Livestock?
(Algae Industry Magazine) Can scientists grow algae in polluted water on dairy farms and then safely feed it to livestock? That’s what Shelton Murinda, an associate professor of animal and veterinary sciences, Marcia Ewers of the biological sciences department, and
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Scripps Oceanography Researchers Engineer Breakthrough for Biofuel Production
(Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego) Prospects for economic and sustainable fuel alternative enhanced with discovery Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have developed a method for greatly enhancing biofuel production in tiny marine algae. As
November 22, 2013 Read Full Article
Bio Architecture Lab, EcoShift Make Waves with Seaweed-Based Biofuels
by Dustin Mulvaney (EcoShift Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... EcoShift Consulting (www.ecoshift.com) recently conducted a GHG intensity analysis of a seaweed-based ethanol product that performs significantly better than gasoline as well as ethanol made from other feedstocks. The ethanol is being developed by
November 21, 2013 Read Full Article
Researchers Warn Against High Emissions from Oil Palm Expansion in Brazil
(Science Daily) Expanding millions of hectares of Brazilian land to produce palm oil for food or for renewable, clean-burning biodiesel could result in extremely high emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) unless strict controls are put in place. This is according to
November 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Big Changes in California LCFS Are Called for in a New Report
by John Kingston (Platts) The University of California-Davis has a new study out about California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Once you get past the standard dry academic writing, much of it is fairly startling. We care about the source of the report
November 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Codexis Exits Cellulosic Biofuels Space
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Codexis signaled the end of its cellulase enzyme adventure in cellulosic biofuels with the wind-down of its CodeXyme business. CEO John Nicols said, “Given the market’s undervaluation of the prospects and continued slow build
November 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Biofuel Seed Developer Ceres Looks to Cash in on 16 Years of R&D
by Ronald D. White (Los Angeles Times) The road to a clean biofuels future is not easily traveled. Ceres Inc. in Thousand Oaks has some highly regarded science on its side as a producer of genetically modified seeds for crops used to
November 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Legislation to Eliminate Corn Ethanol A “Killer”
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Coburn (R-OK) are introducing legislation to eliminate conventional biofuels from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to a story first published by Greenwire, the impending bill would leave the advanced biofuel targets
October 31, 2013 Read Full Article
A Systematic Review of Biochar Research, with a Focus on Its Stability in situ and Its Promise as a Climate Mitigation Strategy
by Noel P. Gurwick, Lisa A. Moore, Charlene Kelly, Patricia Elias (PLOSone) Claims about the environmental benefits of charring biomass and applying the resulting “biochar” to soil are impressive. If true, they could influence land management worldwide. Alleged benefits include increased crop yields, soil
October 30, 2013 Read Full Article
Ceres and Syngenta Extend Market Development in Brazil
(Sacramento Bee/Ceres) Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE) and Syngenta announced today that they have extended a joint market development agreement in Brazil. The companies will move forward with their efforts to promote the use of both sweet sorghum
October 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Midwestern Ethanol Producers Challenge California Global-Warming Regulations
by Daniel Fisher (Forbes) A federal appeals court in California is mulling whether to reconsider a September ruling that upheld state global-warming regulations on ethanol producers. Critics say the decision gives the Golden State carte blanche to regulate virtually anything it doesn’t
October 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Is the Renewable Fuel Standard Helping Bring the Next Generation of Biofuels to Market?
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) For many supporters of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a key goal was to stimulate the development and use of low-carbon, next generation biofuels – to help reduce both U.S. petroleum dependence
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Congressional Algae Caucus Launched!
(Algae Biomass Organization) Algae Biomass Organization Applauds Reps. Scott Peters and Matt Salmon as New Chairs of the Congressional Algae Caucus. Bi-partisan group focused on increasing awareness of the potential of algae industry to create jobs and economic development through
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Bunge Signals a Shift from Sugar; What’s the Impact for Advanced Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, in the wake of a $37 million Q1 loss in its sugar unit, Bunge CEO Soren Schroder, who took the reins of the company in June, announced yesterday that the trading giant
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Disrupting the Gas Station: Startup Melds Biofuels, VCs, Grants
by Lauren Hepler (Silicon Valley Business Journal) The green fad may be waning for Silicon Valley venture capitalists, but that isn't slowing growth for Redwood City biofuel startup Propel Fuels. The company, which increased sales more than fivefold in the last three years,
October 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Industrial Biobased Ventures Raise $364M in Q3 2013; 5-Minute Guide to the Bioinvesting Landscape
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Biobased investing continues surging, both direct and via strategics. The Digest has the data and the scoop in our 5-Minute Guide. In Florida, Biofuels Digest reports that 9 biobased ventures raised $363.8 million in new capital
October 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Space, the Biobased Frontier: Hot Biotechnologies for the Big Beyond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Next-gen biofuels technologies may be key to making the International Space Station cost effective — not to mention, other destinations in the NASA agenda. Which may explain why a high-tech algae outfit, Evodos, is advertising
October 22, 2013 Read Full Article
New Device Harnesses Sun and Sewage to Produce Hydrogen Fuel
by Tim Stephens (University of California Santa Cruz) A novel device that uses only sunlight and wastewater to produce hydrogen gas could provide a sustainable energy source while improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment. A research team led by Yat Li,
October 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Re-engineering Internal Combustion Engine Could Deliver Big MPG Boost at Lower Cost with Fewer Emissions
by Jim Pierobon (The Energy Collective) For all the advances with hybrid and pure electric vehicles and the attention they are grabbing, personal, commercial and government vehicles around the world will be using enormous volumes of gasoline and diesel fuel
October 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Clean Energy Becomes the First Ever Commercial Distributor of Transportational Fuel Made from Waste
(Clean Energy) Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE), North America’s largest provider of natural gas for transportation, announced today (October 3, 2013) that it will be the first company to commercially distribute a renewable natural gas vehicle fuel, called Redeem,
October 04, 2013 Read Full Article
Algenetix and Alchimia Form Partnership to Transform Miscanthus into Source of Biodiesel and Bio-jet Fuel
(Algenetix and Alchimia) Algenetix Inc, a bioenergy technology company and Alchimia Inc, a biomaterials processing technology and deployment company, announced today a partnership to develop high oil Giant Miscanthus as a new source of biodiesel and bio-jet fuel. The partnership combines
October 04, 2013 Read Full Article
New Metabolic Pathway to More Efficiently Convert Sugars Into Biofuels
(Science Daily) UCLA chemical engineering researchers have created a new synthetic metabolic pathway for breaking down glucose that could lead to a 50 percent increase in the production of biofuels. The new pathway is intended to replace the natural metabolic pathway
October 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Turning Algae’s Golden Corner: Triton, Sapphire Energy, Heliae, Rincon, and Monsanto
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... It seems a long time ago now that, out of Dr. Steve Mayfield’s lab at Scripps and later at the University of California at San Diego, a series of discoveries made it possible, for the
October 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Bently Biofuels Acquires Bay Area Grease Collection Company
(BusinessWire) In August 2013, Nevada-based biodiesel producer Bently Biofuels Company expanded their used cooking oil collection program by purchasing the assets of Got Grease?, a Bay Area waste oil and grease trap pumping company. Got Grease? collected used cooking oil throughout
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources and Diversified Ethanol Fund Research Study by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
(BusinessWire/Greenbelt Resources) Study to Identify Approach for Optimal Yield of Ethanol Fuel Conversion from Food Waste Fermentation Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Diversified Ethanol Corporation today announced their investment in a research effort with California Polytechnic State University
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Tulare County Farmers Hear about Raising Sorghum for Biofuel
by David Castellon (Visalia Times Delta) When the subject of biofuel comes up, chances are you’ll think of corn converted to ethanol. But on Wednesday, representatives from a Chicago-based seed manufacturer tried to change that way of thinking by inviting Valley farmers
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Algae Could Fuel Cleaner Road to Future
by Jan Sluizer (Voice of America) ... “It may not seem as big of an impact, but when you’re talking about potentially millions or billions of gallons in the United States, even a five percent reduction or a 20 percent reduction, is
September 25, 2013 Read Full Article
California Resolution Calls for Federal Reform of RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The California legislature recently passed Assembly Joint Resolution 21, which urges federal lawmakers and the U.S. EPA to reform the renewable fuels standard (RFS), transitioning away from first-generation biofuels. The measure was introduced by
September 23, 2013 Read Full Article
An Ethanol-Fueled Comeback for Sugar Beets
by Alice Daniel (California Report) California once grew a lot of sugar beets to supply the state's sugar mills. Most of those the mills are closed now, and farmers have turned to other row crops. But in the Central Valley, growers
September 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Algae Biofuel Can Cut CO2 Emissions by at Least 50% Petroleum Fuels
(UPI.com) Algae-derived biofuels can reduce the life cycle of carbon dioxide emissions by at least 50 percent compared to petroleum fuels, a U.S. university study found. The peer-review study -- the first to analyze real-world data from an existing algae-to-energy demonstration
September 23, 2013 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Awards $34M in R&D for Advanced Liquid Fuels from Methane
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced that 15 breakthrough energy projects will receive approximately $34 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) via the REMOTE program (Reducing Emissions using Methanotrophic Organisms for
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Ninth Circuit Upholds California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Dana Hull (San Jose Mercury News) In a victory for environmentalists, clean energy advocates and state regulators, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California's clean-fuel standards in a 2-1 decision Wednesday. The fuel standard is a cornerstone of
September 19, 2013 Read Full Article
Helping Bacteria Tolerate Biofuels
by Erika Gebel Berg (Chemical and Engineering News) Protein Engineering: Scientists evolve a bacterial protein pump that pulls butanol out of cells to make microbes into better biofuel factories Biologists can engineer microorganisms to make biofuels, such as butanol or octanol,
September 19, 2013 Read Full Article
USDA Announces Support for Producers of Advanced Biofuel
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making payments to support the production of advanced biofuel. USDA is making nearly $15.5 million in payments to 188 producers through the
September 13, 2013 Read Full Article
CA Ethanol and Power Project Approved by Board of Supervisors
by Krista Daly (Imperial Valley Press) The California Ethanol and Power Project is moving forward with its plan to generate clean fuel from sugar cane and sweet sorghum. Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved seven resolutions Tuesday dealing with water, zoning,
September 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Celebvocate: Neil Young for Ethanol, Farm Bill
by Reliable Source (The Washinton Post) ...Event: National Farmers Union rally promoting passage of a five-year farm bill and touting the renewable fuel standard. Venue: Capitol Hill’s Lower Senate Park. ...What he wants: Fuel standards mandating an increased amount
September 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Berkeley Lab Researcher Applies Graph Theory to Biofuels Search
(US Department of Energy Office of Science) Energy scientists hope new plant varieties will yield large amounts of biomaterial, which new types of microbes will quickly and cheaply convert into clean-burning fuel. To achieve these goals, researchers will need novel