(MarketWatch/Mascoma) Fully-funded commercial-scale facility Mascoma Corporation, a renewable fuels company, announced today that it has signed a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to assist in the design, construction and operation of a commercial-scale hardwood cellulosic ethanol facility
Department of Energy (DOE)
Back TO HOMEReaching the E15 Summit: Getting the Waiver Was Easy, Compared to the Work Required to Fulfill Requirements for E15 Implementation
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...The industry believed it had the scientific backing to support the use of higher ethanol blends in all vehicles and said allowing higher blends into the market would create jobs, lessen dependence on foreign
December 14, 2011 Read Full Article
The 10 Top Unanswered Biofuels Questions for 2011
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Your calls and emails are always the highlight of our days. Most questions can be answered johnny-on-the-spot. Some are still out there and well worth arguing over. Here are the Top 10 that are still
December 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis, Mascoma Show that Low-Cost Sugar is the Key, as Biofuels Moves from R&D into Industrial Era
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“The government rushed into investments, with no diligence,” says Codexis chief Alan Shaw. “They are just not industrialists, in my opinion.” Two major announcements this week drive the point home in advanced biofuels. In California, Codexis introduced its
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Why Biorefining Loan Guarantees Give Back: Think Money, Jobs and Military Might
by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) ...In the letter, the group pointed out the need for programs like the 9003 Biorefinery Loan Guarantee Program offered through USDA. “Loan guarantees are the most cost-effective way to develop new jobs and create these
December 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces New Initiative to Remove Barriers for Industry to Work with National Labs, Commercialize Technology
(US Department of Energy) As part of President Obama’s commitment to helping U.S businesses create jobs and strengthen their competitiveness by speeding up the transfer of federal research and development from the laboratory to the marketplace, U.S. Deputy Secretary of
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Turn Up the Heat: Researchers Explore Heat-Resistant Enzymes
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...“Thermophilic fungi can be found worldwide, most commonly in habitats where self-heating of plant material results in high temperatures, such as compost heaps, municipal waste, plant straw, and animal dung,” he (Randy Berka, a
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
OriginOil Announces New Research Agreement with U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory
(OriginOil) OriginOil will work with DOE’s Office of Biomass Programs to create standards for algal biomass OriginOil, Inc. (OTC/BB: OOIL), the developer of a breakthrough technology to extract oil from algae and an emerging leader in the global algae oil services industry, today
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
For Obama’s Green-Car Revolution, Fits and Starts
by Carol D. Leonnig and Joe Stephens (The WashingtonPost) The Obama administration has poured roughly $5 billion in taxpayer funds into the electric-car industry, offering incentives to manufacturers, their suppliers and even car buyers who might want to go green. But analysts say
December 08, 2011 Read Full Article
The Range Fuels Failure
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Let’s talk about Range Fuels, the good and the bad. In Georgia, the AgSouth Farm Credit bank, which is the lender of record for an $80 million construction loan that Range defaulted on, is advertising a
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
E. Coli Bacteria Engineered to Eat Switchgrass and Make Transportation Fuels
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) Researchers Reach Milestone on the Road to Biofuels A milestone has been reached on the road to developing advanced biofuels that can replace gasoline, diesel and jet fuels with a
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Xconomist of the Week: 5 Questions with Sapphire Energy CEO Jason Pyle
by Bruce V. Bigelow (Xconomy) ...Jason Pyle: ...So soon, we will see the U.S. military as the leading customer for crude oil replacements. As pressure rises on the commercial airline industry (which uses most of the jet fuels in the
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Corn Gene Boosts Biofuels from Switchgrass
(Science Daily) ...Unlike the starch sugars in grains, the complex polysaccharides in the cellulose of plant cell walls are locked within a tough woody material called lignin. For advanced biofuels to be economically competitive, scientists must find inexpensive ways to
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Waste Management Invests in Fulcrum, Provides $70M Debt for First Commercial Project
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Waste Management announced that it has closed an equity investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy. In connection with this investment, WM agreed to a secured loan facility that provides for WM’s funding of up to $70
November 21, 2011 Read Full Article
EPA, DOE Release 2012 Fuel Economy Guide
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Want to know what the best vehicles are for fuel economy, including flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs)? Consult the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide, released by the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE on Nov. 16. The annual guide
November 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Out from Solyndra’s Shadow
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/BIO) Federal loan guarantees may be scuttled after the Solyndra affair – but should the baby really be thrown out with the bathwater? ...But the programs’ untimely end may coincide with the first commercial successes for advanced
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
S-Day: US Must Keep Its Eyes on the Clean Energy Prize, Despite Setbacks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Here the Digest’s take: for bioenergy, S-Day is about Solyndra and Secretary Chu, but it isn’t really much about bioenergy. Out of an $80 billion authorization for clean energy loan guarantees, and over a six-year
November 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Farm Fields Could Yield Jet Fuel of the Future
by Heather Lammers (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World) ...In June, DOE announced an award of up to $13.4 million dollars to Virent and its partners to develop a process to cost effectively convert cellulosic biomass — in this case
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Society of Biological Engineering's Conference on ElectroFuels Research
by Vidya Ramanathan (Advanced Biofuels USA) A clear view of coppery miniature treetops, brilliant skies and shimmering coastline. This is the sight that welcomed the attendees of the first ever conference on ElectroFuels, conducted by the Society of Biologigal Engineering, under
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Ex-Obama Operative Urged White House to Oust Energy Secretary Chu, Emails Show
(Fox News/AP) ...A February email from an ex-campaign operative for President Obama explained at length why Chu should be demoted and replaced with a new team of energy leaders. Dan Carol, also a prominent clean-energy activist, complained about rising gas
November 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Flights Signal Demand From U.S. Airlines
by Graham Warwick (Aviation Week) As airlines launch the first commercial biofuel flights in the U.S., the government is working with industry to scale up production of biomass-derived jet fuel to commercial quantities beginning in 2012. Following the lead set by
November 14, 2011 Read Full Article
In Search of New Biofuels: UD Wins $2.2 Million Grant for Bioenergy Research
(University of Delaware) ...Eleftherios (Terry) Papoutsakis, Eugene du Pont Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, is working to create hardy organisms for producing biofuels and chemicals from renewable sources – microorganisms that are more resistant to toxic chemicals and
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Fundamental Discovery Casts Enzymes in New Light
(Oak Ridge National Laboratory) A tree outside Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Pratul Agarwal's office window provided the inspiration for a discovery that may ultimately lead to drugs with fewer side effects, less expensive biofuels and more. Just as a breeze
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels, Wind Power Show Gains, but Hurdles Remain
by Ronald D. White (Los Angeles Times) Biofuels and wind power are having the biggest new impact in American power generation, according to a report released today by the U.S. Energy Department. Consumption of biofuels has risen 16-fold since 2000 and wind
November 11, 2011 Read Full Article
The 10 Biofuels Priorities for 2012
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, more than 350 delegates gathered at Advanced Biofuesl Markets to set industry priorities for the next six months,seal partnerships, and exchange outlooks on 2012. It didn’t take long for the Top 10 priorities
November 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Secretary: Loan Programs Can Be Improved Upon
by Ben Geman and Ariel Katz (The Hill E2Wire) Energy Secretary Steven Chu warned Thursday that a retreat from federal green-energy investments would be a grave economic mistake, but acknowledged that the design of loan guarantee programs could be improved. ...Chu
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Genome-scale Network of Rice Genes to Speed the Development of Biofuel Crops
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Joint BioEnergy Institute Researchers Create RiceNet for Predicting Genetic Functions in Rice The first genome-scale model for predicting the functions of genes and gene networks in a grass species has been developed by an international team of
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
$ 2.2 Million Department of Energy Grant to Build a Fuel-Producing Bacterium
by Diana Lutz (Washington University) Custom-designed organism could break the stalemate in the algal fuel industry ...(T)he Department of Energy has funded a three-university collaboration led by Washington University in St. Louis to approach the problem of algal fuels systematically. The principal
November 04, 2011 Read Full Article
What’s the Buzz? The 10 hottest topics in biofuels right now.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But here are 10 themes that are shaping up to be the Buzz of the conference. 1. RFS. Hold or Fold? 2. Can Obama find the $510 million? 3. Elections. 4. Fuels, or chems, or something else? 5.
November 02, 2011 Read Full Article
NREL Opens New Doors to Renewable Energy Data
(US Department of Energy) Developer.nrel.gov empowers Web developers to use renewable energy data for Web and mobile applications The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is home to a cornucopia of data on renewable energy, energy efficiency and alternative transportation.
November 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Feedstock Solutions: Researchers, Members of Industry Unite to Report on Feedstock Densification
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Approximately 100 professionals working in the feedstock and biorefining sectors recently met at Idaho National Laboratory to participate in a U.S. DOE-funded workshop. ...“Our objective was to broaden the view of densification from just a
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Landscape Waste Recycling Process to Power City Fleet
by Susan Frick Carlman (Naperville Sun) The first phase of the local partnership working toward collecting yard waste and converting it into fuels is poised to go live in the coming weeks. In the works for nearly three years, the Green
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Trick and Treat: Energy Loans under Review, as Hallowe’en Looms
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The fact that the US government doubled-down, by allegedly subordinating the loan to investments by a pair of hedge funds, during a Solyndra financial reorganization, is going to cost Energy Secretary a headache when he heads
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy Biomass Program Releases "Land-Use Change and Bioenergy" Summary Report
(US Department of Energy) The Biomass Program released the "Land-Use Change and Bioenergy" summary report. This publication describes the Biomass Program’s efforts to examine the intersection of land-use change and bioenergy production. It outlines legislation requiring land-use change assessments, key
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Releases New Version of GREET Model
(US Department of Energy) With support from the Biomass Program, as well as other DOE programs, including the Vehicle Technologies, Fuel Cell Technologies, and Geothermal Technologies programs, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has completed and released a new version of the
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
First-of-a-kind Tension Wood Study Broadens Biofuels Research
(Physorg.com) Taking a cue from Mother Nature, researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center have undertaken a first-of-its-kind study of a naturally occurring phenomenon in trees to spur the development of more efficient bioenergy crops. Tension wood, which forms
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Los Alamos National Laboratory Develops First Genetically Engineered "Magnetic" Algae
(Los Alamos National Laboratory) LANL scientists have genetically engineered "magnetic" algae to investigate alternative, more efficient harvesting and lipid extraction methods for biofuels. The researchers seek to reduce the cost of algae-based biofuel production. Currently, used algae-harvesting and lipid-extraction technology accounts
October 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Don’t Forget the Combustion Engine
by Robert W. Carling (Sandia National Laboratory/The Washington Post) op ed: ...Amid the national discussion on the future of electric vehicles, biofuels, fuel cells and other advanced technologies, the fact remains that it will take decades before any new engine
October 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Biomass Organization Member Spotlight: Barry Raleigh, Co-Founder of Cellana.
(Algal Biomass Organization) ABO: What was the original idea behind the creation of the company? Raleigh: My co-founder, Mark Huntley, thought from his experience in algae production at Aquasearch that algae were possibly a major consumer of carbon dioxide if fuel
October 07, 2011 Read Full Article
SarTec Corporation Awarded $500,000 Department of Energy Grant
(PR NewsWire/SarTec) SarTec Corporation announced today it has received a $500,000 Department of Energy grant (Award # DE-EE0003127) as part of a larger project to develop and enhance the use of inedible energy crops for the production of advanced biofuels using the patented Mcgyan®
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
ArborGen Partners with University of Florida to Advance Pine-based Biofuels as Part of $6.3 Million DOE ARPA-E Grant
(BusinessWire/ArborGen) Research team to develop genetically improved Loblolly Pine trees that yield greater amounts of terpene for use in transportation biofuels ArborGen, a world leader in the development and commercialization of technologies that improve the productivity of trees for wood,
October 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Advancing Next-gen Biofuels by Turning Up the Heat on Biomass Pretreatment Processes
by Marie Louise Ballon (U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute/Renewable Energy World) ...Published online October 2 in Nature Biotechnology, an international team of scientists including DOE JGI researchers compared the finished genomes of Thielavia terrestris and Muceliophthora thermophila, fungi
October 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Awards $2 Million for National University Clean Energy Business Challenge to Jump Start Young Entrepreneurship
(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
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Losing Government Loan Option
by Philip Brasher (Gannett/Des Moines Register) Developers of biofuels already have been struggling to attract private investment. Now they’ll have even fewer financing options with the sunsetting of the loan guarantee program that financed failed solar-panel maker Solyndra. ...But the
October 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Releases Inaugural Quadrennial Technology Review Report
(Department of Energy) Report Provides a Roadmap for Advancing Key Energy Technologies and Outlines a Clear Vision of the Department’s Goals for Energy Innovation The Energy Department today released it’s inaugural Quadrennial Technology Review report (DOE-QTR) – an assessment of the
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Awards $156 Million for Groundbreaking Energy Research Projects
(Department of Energy/ARPA-E) ARPA-E Projects in 25 States Will Accelerate Innovation in Clean Energy Technologies, Increase America's Competitiveness and Create Jobs Arun Majumdar, Director of the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today announced 60 cutting-edge research projects aimed
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Joint BioEnergy Institute Scientists Identify New Microbe-Produced Advanced Biofuel as an Alternative to Diesel Fuel
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Researchers with the U.S Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have identified a potential new advanced biofuel that could replace today’s standard fuel for diesel engines but would be clean, green, renewable
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Finalizes $132 Million Loan Guarantee to Support the Abengoa Bioenergy Project
(US Department of Energy) Groundbreaking Cellulosic Ethanol Project Expected to Fund Over 300 Jobs and Build Nation’s Capacity for Cellulosic Ethanol Production U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department finalized a $132.4 million loan guarantee to Abengoa Bioenergy
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Imperium Renewables Helping Bring Biojet fuel to the Northwest
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Seattle, Wash.-based biodiesel producer Imperium Renewables and the U.S. DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have reported positive results in a joint development for the production of biomass-based drop-in jet fuel in the Pacific Northwest. So
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Green Racing Marks Its 25th Competition
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
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
National Algae Association Denounces Recent DOE Claims
(Algae Industry Magazine) he National Algae Association (NAA) Executive Director Barry Cohen has further commented on algae’s exclusion from the DOE’s Billion Ton Update because of a lack of data. According to the NAA, algae have been researched at universities for decades
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Report Says Vehicle Fuel Should Be the Priority, Not Electricity
by Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) Research on solar and wind power is all well and good, but a self-assessment by the Department of Energy has found that in the great scheme of energy needs, the government is not
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Argonne National Laboratory Report on Life-Cycle Analysis of Algal Lipid Fuels
Edward D. Frank, Jeongwoo Han, Ignasi Palou-Rivera, Amgad Elgowainy, and Michael Q. Wang (Argonne National Laboratory) A life-cycle analysis (LCA) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use was performed to study algae-based pathways for producing biofuels such as biodiesel, renewable diesel, and
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Some Clean-Energy Firms Found U.S. Loan-Guarantee Program a Bad Bet
by Steven Mufson and Carol D. Leonnig (The Washington Post) ...The Obama administration’s vaunted initiative to catalyze the U.S. clean-energy industry — under attack for betting half a billion dollars on the solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, which closed last month — has become
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Grants Final Approval on POET Cellulosic Ethanol Loan Guarantee
(POET) POET closes on loan to keep construction on pace for 2013 plant start-up POET today (September 23, 2011) received final approval for a $105 million loan guarantee issued through the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan programs Office. The loan guarantee
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Fulcrum Bioenergy’s $115M IPO: The 10-Minute Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The first zero-cost feedstock biofuels company comes to the public markets with its IPO. ...Fulcrum becomes the 12th company to file for an IPO in the industrial biotech boom, which began with a successful listing on
September 26, 2011 Read Full Article
OriginOil to Collaborate with DOE on Algae Feedstock Standard
(Algae Industry Magazine) OriginOil, Inc. has announced it will begin to work with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory to develop standards for converting biomass, including algae, into biofuels and other products. ...One of the Program’s main goals will be to
September 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Conversion Pathways for Bioenergy: Cellulosic Bioproducts--Virent is Replacing the Crude Oil
Andrew Held (Virent) Andrew Held, Director of Virent Feedstock Development, explained that Virent creates gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and chemicals from biomass feedstocks. Virent, founded in 2002 and based in Madison, WI , has a 63,000 sq. ft. facility with
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Solyndra Flop Fails to Slow Obama Team’s $9.2 Billion Push for Wind, Solar
by Jim Efstathiou Jr. (Bloomberg) The Obama administration, defying congressional Republicans after the failure of solar-panel maker Solyndra LLC, is working to award as much as $9.2 billion in government financing to renewable energy companies before a Sept. 30 deadline. ...Abengoa
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Mascoma’s IPO: The 10-Minute Version
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Intrigued by cellulosic ethanol and a new product called MGT, in Mascoma’s IPO? ...Mascoma Corporation announced that it has filed an S-1 registration statement relating to a proposed $100 million initial public offering. The number of
September 20, 2011 Read Full Article
The A.I.M. Interview: Sandia and DOE's Ron Pate
(Algae Industry Magazine) A Principal Member of the Technical Staff of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Sandia National Laboratories, serving in the Earth Systems Analysis – Energy, Resources, and Systems Analysis division, Ron Pate has been on M&O Contractor assignment in Washington, DC
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Crapo, Udall Introduce Bill to Level Playing Field for Advanced Biofuels
(Senator Mike Crapo) Would make renewable fuels standard more "technology neutral" U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)and Tom Udall (D-NM)recently introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate that would help level the playing field for advanced biofuels like algae by reforming the Renewable
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Memo to Microalgae, Frankencritters and Biovarmints: Aloha Means I Love You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Hawaii goes all in on microalgae to provide fuel, food, fiber and power to grow its energy-starved Mid-Pacific economy and fit its environmental values ...Hawaii has no fossil fuel resources of its own. Not to mention
September 16, 2011 Read Full Article
The Green Strike Group: The Fuels, The Force, The Skinny
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Tactically, a Green Strike Group, powered by renewable diesel-electric engines, nuclear power and aviation biofuels, is able to operate independent of fossil fuel supply line threat or disruption. In the near term, this is
September 13, 2011 Read Full Article
ABO Responds to USDA/DOE/Navy Biofuels Investment Promise
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Algal Biomass Organization has voiced its opinion of the US government’s recently announced $510 million biofuels investment commitment over the next three years. Following is their statement: Late last month, three federal departments came together to
September 09, 2011 Read Full Article
American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patron Leads by Example in Reducing Dependence on Petroleum
(ALMS/PRNewsWire) The American Le Mans Series reports it reduced its petroleum usage by nearly 50 percent in its most recent race. Series president Scott Atherton delivered the message today to journalists and government officials in Washington at the National Press Club.
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
A.I.M. Interview: Los Alamos National Laboratory's Dr. Babetta Marrone and Dr. Jim Coons
(Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Babetta Marrone and Dr. Jim Coons are in charge of developing the Ultrasonic Algae Biofuel Harvester, as their part of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)’s part of the 3-year NAABB project. ...Together, they are working to develop
September 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Pretreatment, Proper Harvest Time Boost Ethanol from Switchgrass
by Brian Wallheimer (Purdue University) Adding a pretreatment step would allow producers to get more ethanol from switchgrass harvested in the fall, according to a Purdue University study. Michael Ladisch, a distinguished professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and Youngmi Kim,
September 01, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA, Departments of Energy and Navy Seek Input from Industry to Advance Biofuels for Military and Commercial Transportation
(US Department of Agriculture) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus today announced the next step in the creation of a public-private partnership to develop drop-in advanced biofuels. The Secretaries
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Honeywell’s UOP Breaks Ground on Facility to Convert Biomass to Green Transportation Fuels
(Honeywell) UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that it has begun construction in Hawaii of a biofuels demonstration unit that will convert forest residuals, algae and other cellulosic biomass into green transportation fuels. Backed by a $25 million U.S. Department of
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Investor Interest in U.S. Biofuel Production Set to Soar
by John Daly (OilPrice.com) ...While it remains to be seen how the joint investments between the U.S. government and private sector will work in practice, the announcement nevertheless represents an unprecedented commitment by several federal departments to stimulate the production
August 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Honeywell to Build Pilot-Scale Biomass Refinery in Kapolei
by Duane Shimogawa (Pacific Business News) ...Groundbreaking for Honeywell’s UOP integrated biorefinery is scheduled for next week at Tesoro Corp. ’s refinery in Kapolei. The project, funded by a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, will integrate two
August 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Work Begins on Carbon-Capture at ADM Decatur Site
(St. Louis Today/AP) The U.S. Department of Energy says construction has started on a $207.5 million project to capture carbon dioxide produced by an ethanol plant in Illinois and store it underground. The Energy Department said construction started Tuesday on the
August 26, 2011 Read Full Article
Catching the Sugar Wave
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Not content to let Brazil hog all the glory, three development-stage companies eye sugar-based ethanol feedstocks ...If successful, California Ethanol & Power LLC will be the first ethanol production company bankrolled partially by Brazilian money,
August 23, 2011 Read Full Article
A Quick Way to Grade Grasses for Ethanol Yields
by Don Comis (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researchers have developed an inexpensive way to grade the ethanol potential of perennial grasses at the biorefinery's loading dock. That future has been made possible by
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Berkeley Lab Opens Advanced Biofuels Facility
(Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) The ailing United States’ economy would receive a much needed boost with the commercial development of a domestic source of transportation fuel – especially if that fuel were to be clean, green and renewable, and could
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
INEOS Bio JV Closes $75m in Private Financing Under USDA Loan Guarantee Program for Advanced BioEnergy Center in Florida
(INEOS Bio/PR NewsWire) Florida project is first large-scale advanced biorefinery facility in U.S. to close financing in latest round of USDA backed financing INEOS Bio announced that its joint venture project closed private financing on a $75m loan backed by a Loan Guarantee
August 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Abengoa Announces DOE Offer of Conditional Commitment for $133.9 Million Loan Guarantee to Build Inaugural Biomass Plant in United States
(Abengoa/PR NewsWire) Abengoa today announced that its subsidiary, Abengoa Bioenergy, has been selected by the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office to receive an offer of a conditional commitment for a $133.9 million federal loan guarantee for the construction of
August 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Peterson Questions Federal Biofuels Plan
by Don Davis (Duluth News Tribune) Minnesota’s senior congressman said that the plan administration officials announced this week probably will not work and threatens Minnesota’s 21 ethanol plants. “I think that is a big a problem,” said U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson,
August 18, 2011 Read Full Article
National Algae Association Stymied in Getting Explanation of Algae Exclusion from Billion Ton Update
(National Algae Association) National Algae Association Executive Director Barry Cohen has issued the following statement in response to the specific exclusion of algae from the Billion Ton Update issued by the Department of Energy: "Other than to be told that leadership
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels USA Is Disappointed in White House Plan for National Security Drop-In Biofuels Investment
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) As a tie-in to President Obama’s current bus tour promoting his job creation plans, the White House has issued a press release promoting a three-year $510 million dollar plan to fund “drop-in” biofuel
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces Major Initiative to Spur Biofuels Industry and Enhance America's Energy Security
(The White House) USDA, Department of Energy and Navy Partner to Advance Biofuels to Fuel Military and Commercial Transportation, Displace Need for Foreign Oil, and Strengthen Rural America President Obama today (August 16, 2011) announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Drop In, Drop Out: NABC Tosses Two Projects off the R&D Island
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Survivor, biofuels style? NABC trims its project roster to two (or maybe three), as it nixes two projects and puts two on the “maybe” watch. Here’s what happened, why, and what’s next. In Washington, the DOE
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Biomass 2011: Replace the Whole Barrel, Supply the Whole Market Presentations Posted
(US Department of Energy) ...More than 600 speakers, moderators, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees were able to listen to discussions about the ongoing challenges and achievements in the bioenergy industry. Biomass 2011 addressed key issues in important areas, such as feedstock supply, conversion pathways,
August 15, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA, DOE Award 10 R&D Grants for Advanced Bioenergy Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA and DOE have awarded 10 grants totaling $12.2 million to spur research into improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of growing biofuel and bioenergy crops. The USDA and DOE
August 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Udall to Introduce Bill that Would Level Playing Field for Advanced Biofuels
(Senator Tom Udall) U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) today announced his plans to introduce bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate that would help level the playing field for advanced biofuels like algae by reforming the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to
August 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Department of Energy Awards More Than $175 Million for Advanced Vehicle Research and Development
(US Department of Energy) U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $175 million over the next three to five years to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies. The funding will support 40 projects across 15
August 10, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. DOE Releases Billion-Ton Study Follow Up Report
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Power and Thermal) A follow-up report to the U.S. DOE’s 2005 “Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply,” commonly referred to as the Billion-Ton Study, has
August 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Program Gives Teens a Jump on Science
by Justin B. Phillips (Contra Costa Times) Deep within the Joint BioEnergy Institute, eight researchers are hard at work trying to find solutions to the growing global energy crisis. The team diligently researches renewable, carbon-neutral alternatives to fossil fuels in the
August 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Modeling Plant Metabolism to Optimize Oil Production
(Brookhaven National Laboratory) Computational studies aim to increase use of plant oils as renewable resource Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a computational model for analyzing the metabolic processes in rapeseed plants — particularly
August 10, 2011 Read Full Article
A New Catalyst for Ethanol Made from Biomass
(EurekAlert!) Researchers potentially find a renewable path to fuel additives, rubber and solvents Researchers in the Pacific Northwest have developed a new catalyst material that could replace chemicals currently derived from petroleum and be the basis for more environmentally friendly products
August 02, 2011 Read Full Article
A Slimy Idea: Rowan Hopes to Derive Biodiesel from Algae
by Peter Key (Philadelphia Business Journal) ...At least that’s the case for some professors and students in the College of Engineering at Glassboro, N.J.-based Rowan University, which recently won a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate making biodiesel
August 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Wichita QuikTrips Would Carry E85 in Effort State is Pursuing
by Emily Behlmann (Wichita Business Journal) ...According to an application submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy, the state of Kansas wants to use $5 million of federal stimulus dollars on a project to install flex-fuel pumps at 38 Wichita-area
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Trash-to-Fuel Company Enerkem Raises Another $30M
by Matthew Lynley (Green Beat) Enerkem, a company that specializes in converting unusable waste into ethanol and other chemicals, announced today that it has raised $30 million in an extension of its most recent funding round. Enerkem converts household garbage and leftover
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Chu, Vilsack, Pfannenstiel Headline, Light up BIOMASS 2011 Congress
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and US Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackalyne Pfannenstiel provided a rousing opening to the DOE’s annual BIOMASS congress in Washington. Opening
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Power Shifts
by Erin Ailworth (The Boston Globe) ...“One of the big challenges with the federal budget is whether ARPA-E is going to be funded,’’ said Peter Rothstein, president of New England Clean Energy Council, a trade group in Boston. ...Alternative fuels Despite several
July 25, 2011 Read Full Article
State Wants to Pull Millions in Stimulus Dollars from the Efficiency Kansas Loan Program
by Christine Metz (Sunflower Horizons) The Kansas Energy Office is pulling funding on a state program that has lent hundreds of Kansans thousands of dollars to make energy efficiency upgrades in their homes. Pending final approval from the U.S. Department of
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
GM Builds B100 Vehicles
by Virendra Pandit (ETCGreen.com) The global giant recently joined a tripartite agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar, in a $950,000 project in Gujarat for five years. CSMCRI on
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Researchers Find Potential Key for Unlocking Biomass Energy
(Department of Energy/Los Alamos National Laboratory/EurekAlert!) LANL molecular model helps expose cellulose weakness Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center have found a potential key for unlocking the energy potential from
July 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Lignol Phases Out Demo Project, Pursues Commercial Opportunities
by Bryan Sims (Biorefining Magazine) Lignol Innovations Inc., a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Lignol Energy Corp., has reached an agreement with the U.S. DOE’s Biomass Program to discontinue work of a proposed 2.5 MMgy cellulosic ethanol demonstration-scale project in Grand Junction,
July 21, 2011 Read Full Article
SIPI Students Win Award for Algae Biofuel Project
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) A team of students at New Mexico-based Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute has been awarded first place in the 2011 Renewable Energy Challenge Competition with its algae biofuel project. The competition is sponsored by the Bureau
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
CSHL to Help Assemble ‘Knowledgebase’ on Plants, Microbes, to Aid US Biofuel, Environment Efforts
(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) In Kbase, cloud computing brings disparate data streams into focus In the decade that has passed since the completion of the first draft sequence of the human genome, biologists have grown increasingly aware of a problem ironically
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
US Energy Department Celebrates Loan Guarantee Successes as Stimulus-Supported 1705 Program Comes to Close
by Jonathan Silver (Department of Energy/Biofuels Digest) ...the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) has been extremely busy, committing or closing 19 additional financings of clean energy projects – including one of the country’s first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
LS9 and HCL CleanTech Awarded a $9 Million Grant From the Department of Energy
(LS9) LS9, Inc., a technology leader in the development of sustainable products, today announced that it has been awarded in conjunction with partner HCL CleanTech Ltd., a $9 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve and demonstrate
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
CTSI Defense Energy Technology Challenge: Deadline August 5
Energy security and independence are two goals at the heart of the U.S. Military’s investment in clean energy technologies. From it’s own research labs to partnerships with start-ups and major contractors, the U.S. Department of Defense is seeking innovative energy
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
House Science Subcommittee for Energy and Environment Holds Hearing on EPA E15 Waiver
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
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Debate over Corn Use Estimates Shows Need for Solid Ethanol Data
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The latest USDA World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates marked a milestone of sorts for the ethanol industry. For the first time, the USDA predicts that more corn will be used for ethanol production
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Lignol Energy Says U.S. Gov't Will Phase out Funding for Ethanol Pilot Project
(Canadian Business) Lignol Energy Corp. says its demonstration project to show the commercial potential of producing ethanol from plant cellulose no longer qualifies for up to US$30 million of funding from a U.S. government biofuels program. The Vancouver-based company said Friday
July 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Sensenbrenner Wants to See Results of DOE's E15 Tests
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner is stepping up his efforts to do away with proposed mandates that would require gasoline for newer vehicles to use 15-percent ethanol. This week, the Brookfield Republican wrote to U.S. Department of Energy
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Chicago Park District Launches New Biodiesel Production Program
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Through a public/private partnership with Darling International, in participation from this year’s Taste of Chicago and area restaurants for the supply of feedstock, the Chicago Park District officially launched a biodiesel production program that will
July 13, 2011 Read Full Article
House Rejects Republican Study Committee Cuts to Energy Subsidies
by Pete Kasperowicz (The Hill) The House on Monday night rejected an amendment proposed by the Republican Study Committee that would have cut $3.25 billion from the Energy and Water Appropriations Act, effectively gutting the Department of Energy's alternative energy funding
July 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Uniform-Format Solid Feedstock Supply System: A Commodity-Scale Design to Produce an Infrastructure-Compatible Bulk Solid from Lignocellulosic Biomass
(US Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory) The United States is increasing the use of lignocellulosic biomass as part of a portfolio of solutions to address climate change and improve energy security, in addition to other benefits that an invigorated agricultural industry can provide. One
July 11, 2011 Read Full Article
EIA Report: Renewables Surpass Nuclear Output
by Ken Bossong (SUN DAY Campaign/Renewable Energy World) According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), renewable energy has passed a milestone as domestic production is now greater than that of
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center Applications Due August 16, 2011
Energy cooperation is a central element of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership. During President Obama’s November 2010 head of state visit to India, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Government of India signed an Agreement to Establish a Joint
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
How Do Farmers Choose Bioenergy Crops?
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Carolyn Hoagland was recently awarded the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholar for her work in learning about how farmers choose to grow bioenergy crops. Hoagland, an adult student, is an environmental science major at the University of Tennessee at
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Bioenergy Research Centers Help Lead Nation to 25x'25 Goal
(25 x '25) A critical component of the 25x’25 mission is to educate and share with policy makers and consumers alike the value of renewable solutions to our nation’s energy needs. In the spirit of that undertaking, the 25x’25 Alliance
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
GI Joe, Funding Man from Head to Toe: The DoD and Drop-In Biofuels at Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the Defense Department looks at its options to directly jump-start drop-in biofuels production at scale, we look at the Defense Production Act – the rationale, the process, the funding, and energy’s role In Washington, a
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Led By DoD, Federal Government Hoping To Fund Biorefineries
by Yuliya Chernova (Wall Street Journal) The Department of Defense, an emerging market force in biofuels, is working on a new program to finance non-petroleum fuel production, in collaboration with the departments of energy and agriculture, according to people familiar
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
The Jobless Recovery, Biofuels, Eency-Weency Balance Sheets, and You
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, President Obama launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership – ho-hum, you say, and I think I hear you yawning. ...“Invent here, make elsewhere” is a failed industrial policy, according to a PCAST report, “Ensuring Leadership
June 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Indian River Agrees to Provide 55,000 Tons of Vegetative Waste Annually to Planned Bio-Ethanol Fuel Plant
by Henry A. Stephens (TCPalm) INEOS New Planet BioEnergy, which is building an estimated $150 million plant on Oslo Road, will be shipping in 90,000 tons a year of yard clippings, tree trimmings and other vegetative waste from other counties
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuels Are Creating a Big Buzz in Military
by Renee Schoof (McClatchy Newspapers/Seattle Times) Maj. Aaron Jelinek of the Air Force Thunderbirds flies his F-16 upside down, rolls it, thunders past his teammates in breathtaking close charges and joins five other fighter jets in precision formation. And for the
June 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Five Ethanol Myths, Busted
by Forrest Jehlik (Argonne National Laboratory/Autopia) ...We must develop a multitude of alternatives to address our future energy needs. One such alternative is ethanol, which is domestically generated and sustainable. However, there are many myths surrounding ethanol, and I’ve come
June 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol, Electric Power behind Winners of DOE EcoCAR Challenge
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The winners of the recently completed three-year EcoCAR challenge used a combination of extended-range electric power and E85 to grab top honors. Taking first place was Virginia Tech University, followed by Ohio State University
June 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Valley Plants Plan to Make Corn-Free Ethanol
by Tim Sheehan (The Fresno Bee) Two plants aim for biofuels made without corn. With corn prices up and demand rising, work is under way in the Valley to develop two biorefineries to make ethanol without using the golden grain. In Visalia,
June 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Unlocking the Structure of Lignin, and Feasible Pathways to Cellulosic Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Research from ORNL reveals new details of bioenergy’s most daunting technical barrier ...Lignin, for those newer to the biofuels world, is a complex chemical compound that makes veggies, plants and wood firm, confers resistance to pests,
June 17, 2011 Read Full Article
EdeniQ Licenses Yeast Technology From USDA
(PR NewsWire/The Street) EdeniQ, Inc., a California-based clean technology company serving the global biofuels industry, announced today that it has licensed yeast technology from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) associated with the fermentation
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
UMass Amherst Biologist Will Improve Ethanol Yields from Energy Crops with Energy Department Grant
(University of Massachusetts Amherst) Detecting the genetic mechanism for how certain strains of the energy crop model systemBrachypodium can produce more ethanol than others is the aim of a new five-year, $750,000 Early Career Research grant from the U.S. Department
June 13, 2011 Read Full Article
'Produced Water' Used to Grow Algae for Biofuels
(R&D Magazine) Scientists recently conducted the first pilot-scale test of algae growth using water from an oil-production well in Jal, New Mexico. This impure water, called "produced water," is pumped to the surface concurrently with the extraction
June 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Chrysler, Feds Developing Experimental Gasoline-Diesel Engine
by Anita Lienert (InsideLine) Just the Facts: Chrysler and the U.S. Department of Energy are at work on a radical experimental engine with multi-fuel technology that can burn gasoline, E85 and diesel. The 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder multi-fuel engine is being tested on
June 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Bloomberg Report Says Biochemical Pathway Attractive to Investors
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Private financial support for technology acceleration continues to be important, and certain technologies are becoming clear favorites for investors, according to a recent Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysis of financial investments made in biofuels
June 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Virent Makes Gasoline from Cellulosic Biomas
(Virent) Biofuels Pioneer Converts Corn Stover and Loblolly Pine Into BioFormate™ Gasoline with Molecular Composition Similar to Gasoline Derived from Fossil Fuels Virent announced it has successfully produced biogasoline from corn stover and pine harvest forest residuals, as a recipient of the U.S.
June 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Joint Venture Secures Financing For Renewable Diesel Facility
(Daily Markets/PRNewsWire) Darling International Inc. today (May 31, 2011) announced that Diamond Green Diesel LLC, its previously announced joint venture project with Valero Energy Corporation, has secured financing for the planned construction of its renewable diesel facility in Norco, Louisiana.
June 01, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Relies Less on Oil Imports to Meet Fuel Demand-Govt
by Tom Doggett (Reuters) U.S. dependence on imported oil fell below 50 percent in 2010 for the first time in more than a decade, thanks in part to the weak economy and more fuel efficient vehicles, the Energy Department said
May 27, 2011 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Fellows Program: An Energy Think Tank
The ARPA-E Fellows Program consists of highly technical scientists and researchers who will actively help create the strategic direction and vision of the country’s first agency devoted exclusively to transformational energy technology research and development. Fellows will support ARPA-E’s Program
May 26, 2011 Read Full Article
EdeniQ Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony in California
by Brian Sims (Ethanol Producer Magazine) State, county and city dignitaries were on hand to witness the official groundbreaking last week of EdeniQ Inc.’s Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration pilot plant at EdeniQ’s headquarters in Visalia, Calif. EdeniQ had been optimizing its biomass conversion
May 24, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Announces Funding for U.S.-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center
(US Department of Energy) As part of the Partnership to Advance Clean Energy announced by President Obama and Prime Minister Singh of India last November, the Department of Energy has committed $25 million over the next five years to support
May 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Eucalyptus Tree Genome Deciphered
(EurekAlert!) Key to new possibilities for renewable bioproducts The key to the survival of forestry in South Africa as well as many new possibilities for renewable bioproducts like biofuels and biopolymers may now be available with the click of a mouse. This
May 20, 2011 Read Full Article
National Advanced Biofuels Consortium: How Biomass Fits into the Petroleum Infrastructure
(National Advanced Biofuels Consortium) This 55-slide presentation from a National Advanced Biofuels Consortium Webinar describes the organization and work of the consortium using many valuable charts, graphs and illustrations, including those that depict existing infrastructure. One of the most useful illustrations
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Algal Harvesting Progress Update from DOE
(Algae Industry Magazine) Joyce Yang, Technology Development Manager for the Department of Energy’s Biomass Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, has revealed recent progress made in algal harvesting technology by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Ending the Enzyme Enigma
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Figuring out how to produce enzymes at a feasible cost is just part of the puzzle A decade ago, the cost of enzymes was at the top of the list of concerns for most
May 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Oops! DOE Goofs Difference between Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the DOE’s Energy Blog identified the Diamond Green renewable diesel project as “a biodiesel refinery that will triple America’s domestic biodiesel production.” US biodiesel capacity, which is at 2.2 billion gallons, will not in fact
May 18, 2011 Read Full Article
An Update on the US Energy Department’s Loan Programs
by Jonathan Silver (US Department of Energy) ...One of the three types of loans or loan guarantees offered by our office – Section 1705 loan guarantees from the Recovery Act – will expire by statute on September 30, 2011. To
May 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Project to Turn Nearly Any Organic Waste into Biofuels
by Melissa O'Neil Perdue (Washington State University) An innovative idea for making advanced biofuels such as jet fuel, diesel and gasoline from regional resources is moving forward with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). “This process will demonstrate the
May 17, 2011 Read Full Article
Ag Secretary Touts Agrivida
by Donna Goodison (Boston Herald) Greater Boston doesn’t usually rate as a Hub of agriculture but yesterday U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Medford to praise start-up Agrivida Inc. as an example of how renewable energy research could help
May 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Striking the Right Balance: JBEI Researchers Counteract Biofuel Toxicity in Microbes
by Lynn Yarris (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Advanced biofuels – liquid transportation fuels derived from the cellulosic biomass of perennial grasses and other non-food plants, as well as from agricultural waste – are highly touted as potential replacements for
May 13, 2011 Read Full Article
Spikemoss Genome Offers New Paths For Biofuels Research--Bridges Plant Development Gap
(RedOrbit) It’s not quite Christmas, but the DNA sequence of a small plant that resembles the seasonal conifers is providing biofuels researchers with information that could influence the development of candidate biofuel feedstock plants and offering botanists long-awaited insights into
May 11, 2011 Read Full Article
GOP Bill Would Merge EPA, DOE
by Robin Bravender (Politico) Senate Republicans are pushing a plan to morph the Energy Department and the EPA into one giant agency. A bill introduced Thursday by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C) would combine the DOE and the EPA into a new agency
May 09, 2011 Read Full Article
UK Gets $6.9 Million Federal Grant to Help Reduce Reliance on Imported Oil
by Mary Meehan (Lexington Herald-Leader) The University of Kentucky has received a $6.9 million federal grant to help reduce America's reliance on imported oil, one of eight awards in the country. "It's going to be big," said UK's principal investigator, Sue
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
KU Research Team Awarded $5.6 Million to Convert Biomass into Chemicals
(The University of Kansas) ...A University of Kansas-led research team has received a $5.6 million grant to develop clean technologies to convert biomass into chemicals that could ultimately replace the petroleum-based chemicals currently used in many household items. Bala Subramaniam, director
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce America's Reliance on Imported Oil
Projects will help develop sustainable, renewable biofuels in the U.S. As part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a total of $47 million