(My Sunshine Coast) A whopping 100 companies have indicated interest in biorefining in Queensland, as the 18 January deadline looms for the Palaszczuk Government’s Biofutures Acceleration Program. Minister for State Development Dr Anthony Lynham said the program aims to create jobs
economic policy
Back TO HOMEBiodiesel: The Field Could Save $ 6 Billion
by Fernando Bertello (La Nacion (Google translation)) The Ministry of Agroindustry of the Nation works in a resolution so that the agricultural producers can make own use of biodiesel by means of a system to fason with the industries. The initiative
January 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry May Have the Juice to Endure to Trump's EPA Chief Pick
by Chuck McCutcheon (Scientific American) Despite concerns over Scott Pruitt’s record of opposing ethanol, experts say the renewable-fuel program is on safe ground -- ... Ethanol advocates, however, do not seem to worry that Pruitt will make similar waves involving their
December 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Industry Seeks Higher Sugar Price; Gadkari for Reasonable Rate
(MoneyControl) Amid demand from the industry to allow retail sugar prices to rise up to Rs 45/kg, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the rates should be reasonable for consumers as the government has a difficult job to balance interest
December 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Can America Really Be ‘Great Again’ With A Gutted EPA?
by Margo T. Oge (Huffington Post) ... Businessmen are always looking for a good return on investment. America’s environmental protections are a steal. The public health benefits of a cleaner environment and a healthier workforce are far greater than the
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Icahn Named Special Trump Adviser to Roll Back Regulations
by Mike Dorning and Beth Jinks (BloombergPolitics) $20 billion net worth makes him one of richest men in America; Trump says Icahn will advise on ‘strangling regulations’ -- Trump often spoke admiringly of (Carl) Icahn during his presidential campaign and cited
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Trump Says Energy Regulations Are Hurting Economic Growth. The Evidence Says Otherwise.
by Vivek Wadhwa and Mark Muro (The Washington Post) ... The assumption they are making is that economic growth depends upon increasing carbon emissions. Trump and Pruitt seem to believe that because energy is essential for economic development, increasing its production by
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Trump’s Nixonian Pivot
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News of high-level appointments have been streaming out of Trump Tower all this week and last, and two trends are already clear: it’s a group mostly out of the business and military communities, and there’s
December 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Makers to Ink Cassava Deal
by Phusadee Arunmas (Bangkok Post) Ethanol makers have agreed to buy 10,000 tonnes of cassava root a day from farmers at 1.9 baht a kilogramme in a bid to raise farm income and stabilise fresh cassava prices. ... Massive supply of fresh cassava
December 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Can We Avoid Another Cataclysmic Meltdown Of The Global Financial System?
by Tim Sklar (Sklar and Associates/Biofuels Digest) Take-aways from Rana Foroohar’s Article Titled “Saving Capitalism” (Time Magazine, May 23, 2016) and her book titled ”Makers and Takers, The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business”. ... Although we still believe
December 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Prospering In the New Trump Era
by Douglas L. Faulkner (“The Cleantech Conservative”/Biofuels Digest) ... Yes, the GOP is in control of the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate. But, who’s in control of the Republicans and will they – – can they – –
December 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Argentina Biodiesel Producers Fear Losing Access to U.S. Market
by Maximilian Heath (Reuters) Argentina's biodiesel producers fear losing access to the United States, the destination of nearly all their exports, after Donald Trump's surprise victory in presidential elections earlier this month, representatives of the sector said. The Republican candidate, who is skeptical
December 01, 2016 Read Full Article
America's Rural Voters Are Ready for Renewable Energy Too
by Lloyd Ritter (The Hill/Agriculture Energy Coalition) ... Rural energy’s potential is strong. Farmers, ranchers, farm coops and businesses want to minimize costs or generate new income through energy. They can do this by investing in biofuels, putting up solar arrays
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Jatropha Oil: Ghana’s Next Potential Source of Biofuel
by Theophilus Kumah* (Advanced Biofuels USA) With the issue of biofuels and renewable energy making waves all over the globe, it is therefore not surprising when Africa (particularly Ghana) is not left out on investing in the future of energy.
November 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Argentina Biodiesel Producers Fear Losing Access to U.S. Market
by Maximilian Heath (Reuters) Argentina's biodiesel producers fear losing access to the United States, the destination of nearly all their exports, after Donald Trump's surprise victory in presidential elections earlier this month, representatives of the sector said. The Republican candidate, who is
November 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Don’t Forget about the Agriculture Sector
by Bill Brandon (Washington Post) The Nov. 13 Business article “Mr. Business goes to Washington. Now what?” gave an analysis of how 15 business sectors, including marijuana and private prisons, would fare under President-elect Donald Trump. Two important sectors were missing:
November 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Trump Won. What Does It Mean for Low Carbon Fuels & Vehicles?
by Tammy Klein (Biofuels Digest/Future Fuel Strategies) ... With Trump’s outspoken refusal to accept the reality of climate change and promise to reinvigorate the fracking and coal industries, are LCFV initiatives stone dead? What can we expect in a Trump Administration? Let’s break
November 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Norwegian Consumers Transitioning to Biodiesel Heating Oil
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Norway, consumers have begun transitioning to biodiesel for heating as fossil fuel-based heating oil will likely be banned by 2020. Some municipalities require the underground oil tanks to be removed while others just want
November 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Loran Schmit: Ethanol Has Been Good for Nebraska
by Loran Schmit (Omaha World-Herald) In 1971, Nebraska state senators championed legislation to establish the nation’s first state ethanol development program. As a farmer and state senator at the time, it was clear to me that Nebraska’s economy needed a boost
November 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Palaszczuk Government to Lure International Biofuels Investment to Queensland
(Queensland Government) The Palaszczuk Government will target Australian and international biofutures investment to help boost the industry in regional Queensland. Speaking in Parliament today, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that an Expression of Interest process to attract biofuels proponents to Queensland would
November 09, 2016 Read Full Article
New Project Aims to Create Equal Market Access for Bio-Based Products: Start of STAR4BBI - STAndards and Regulations FOR the Bio-Based Industry
(Bio-based News/nova-Institut GmbH) Project STAR4BBI has been created as a means to develop a practical, effective, sustainable and harmonized regulatory network in order to support Europe’s innovative transition to a bio-based economy by removing legislative barriers to create equal market
November 07, 2016 Read Full Article
For the Welfare of His People
(Bangkok Post) Benefits to the nation bestowed by His Majesty's Sufficiency Economy Philosophy -- ... Throughout his 70 years on the throne, King Bhumibol Adulyadej initiated more than 4,500 royal development projects, all of which were derived from his determination to
October 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Letters: A Fortune in Biofuels Being Left on the Table
by LeRoy Deichman (Herald-Whig) Existing intellectual property and current production practices hold the promise to enable Missouri's 5th District to produce enough biofuels to displace all of the gasoline currently purchased by our residents and all of the diesel fuel used
October 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Palm-Oil-Based Biodiesel to Increase Palm Oil Demand
by P. Chandra Sagaran (The Sun Daily) The increase in the use of palm-oil-based petroleum diesel bio-fuel will increase the demand of the commodity in the country. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong said this is among the
October 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Bio-Based Industry Consortium, 9 Others Ink Pact to Develop Polish Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Poland, the Bio-Based Industry Consortium, the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking and eight Polish regions signed a Letter of Intent to develop new bioeconomy partnerships. Signed by the Łódzkie Region, the Lubelskie Region, the Małopolska Region,
October 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Monarca BioFuel Project in Mexico Expands, Adding Another 33,000 Hectares of Jatropha
(PR Web) Monarca BioJet fuel project in the Yucatan of Mexico is adding another 33,000 hectares of Jatropha to produce seed oil feedstock so they can export directly to the US to supply BioFuel refineries needing low cost feedstock. --
October 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Union Dicon, Delta Govt Partner over 10,000 Hectares of Cassava Production
by Peter Egwuatu (Vanguard) Delta State Government has agreed to provide enabling environment for the Union Dicon Salt Plc to cultivate 10,000 hectares of cassava production and as well as to sep up a processing plant in the state. In
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
The Companies of the Biobased Economy: The Multi-Slide Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization has released its new report “Advancing the Biobased Economy: Renewable Chemical Biorefinery Commercialization, Progress, and Market Opportunities, 2016 and Beyond,” documenting substantial, ongoing growth in the renewable chemical industry and outlining federal
September 09, 2016 Read Full Article
SuperBIO Project to Support EU Bioeconomy Innovation
(Bio Base Europe/Biomass Magazine) SuperBIO is an innovation project supported through the EU Horizon2020 funding program. The € 3.8 million ($4.24 million) project supports the development of promising industrial value chains in the bioeconomy. It therefore engages with the EU
September 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Rwanda: Mauritian Investors to Construct Sugar Factory in Eastern Provice
by Emmanuel Ntirenganya (AllAfrica.com) The Government has given investors from Mauritius the green light to set up a sugar processing factory in the country. The agreement will see the investors construct a factory with capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes of sugar
August 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Thai Firm Announces Plans to Expand Biodiesel Production Capacity
(Biofuels International) Global Green Chemicals, a Thai oleochemicals company, has announced plans to increase its biodiesel production capacity by setting up a second methyl-ester plant in Chon Buri province, located in the southeast of Bangkok. GCC plans to increase biodiesel output,
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
World Bank: Next Victim of Cheap Oil Is Renewable Fuel
by John Siciliano (Washington Times) The World Bank said Tuesday (July 26, 2016) that low oil prices have hurt demand for renewable fuel. Even while the bank's latest commodity outlook is raising its oil price projections from $41 to $43 per
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Commission to Study Maine’s Biomass Industry to Meet in August
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) ... This past April, Maine enacted a resolve establishing the 13-member commission. Members include two from the Senate and three from the House of Representatives. Four members are appointed by the president of the Senate, including a
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Centre to Soon Initiate Process for Making Ethanol from Biomass: Gadkari
(FirstPost.com) The Centre would soon initiate measures to make ethanol out of biomass that would create "tremendous demand for farm waste", Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. A Cabinet note on making ethanol out of biomass like wheat, cotton and rice straw will
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Environment-Obsessed Berlin Divests Fossil Fuels
by Chris White (The Daily Caller) Berlin’s parliament voted Thursday to divest its $852.8 million public pension from oil and gas companies. The decision to purge fossil fuel assets makes Berlin the second capital to divest in two weeks. Stockholm, the
June 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Knock on Wood: Why Trade and Brand Will Trump Tech in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... So if the advanced bioeconomy is so prevalent and so pervasive, why do we hear so much about the struggles of projects to be built? Why is it so much easier to build wind and
June 23, 2016 Read Full Article
BIC and Vanguard Initiative Sign Bioeconomy MoU
(Bio-based Industries Consortium) Two leading European bioeconomy players, the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and the Vanguard Initiative have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for better interregional cooperation on the bioeconomy. The collaboration will support improved access to funding and awareness-raising
June 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter: Ethanol: Dream big
by Orrie Swayze (Argus Leader) ... Let’s revive S.D.’s leadership for big vision, good business policies by putting state-owned non-flex fuel vehicles on E30 and utilize remaining pipeline tax revenues assuring all S.D. auto owners’ access to lower cost ethanol’s premium
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
US Economy Growing Steadily but Key Reforms Meeded
(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) The US economy is making one of the strongest comebacks in the OECD, but there are risks on the horizon, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of the United States. Seven years after the
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Govt Moves to Revive Plan to Make Biodiesel
(Katmandu Post) The government has formed a committee to study the possibility of making biodiesel from jatropha seeds. Jatropha oil, which is extracted from the seeds of the plant known locally as sajiban or kadam, is superior to other oils. The
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
A Biomass to Sugar Value Chain: The Digest’s 8-Slide Guide to Canada’s Sarnia Biocluster
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) "How much value is in the entire value chain, going from stover in the field to all the products?" asked Sandy Marshall, chairman, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada. His question opened his description of the birth of
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Can Saudi Arabia Pivot Away from Oil? A Powerful Prince Brings His Pitch to America.
by Brian Murphy (The Washington Post) ... When Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, begins meetings this week in Washington and New York, he will be pitching an audacious idea: How the kingdom wants to reinvent its economy
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Bloomberg Task Force Should Recommend Companies Be Required to Stress Test Their Business Plans against Risks of Climate Change Actions and Impacts
( London School of Economics and Political Science) Companies that fail to plan for business scenarios in a low-carbon economy risk decline or even bankruptcy, according to a submission to the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures published today (PDF) (6
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
G7 Nations Pledge to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies by 2025
by Karl Mathiesen (The Guardian) Leaders of the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the EU urge all countries to join them in eliminating support for coal, oil and gas in a decade -- The G7 nations have
June 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Jamaica Still Not Producing Ethanol 8 Years On
(Jamaica Observer) ‘We are yet to see that,’ says economist as he outlines vision for sugar sector -- Jamaica is still not producing ethanol for the E10 mix of petrol which the Government introduced into the petroleum sector in 2008,
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Wassup, EU? The Top 10 Trends in Europe’s Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the EU, the European bioeconomy is generating 18.3 million jobs and driving €2.1 trillion in annual revenue in the E28, says nova-insitut, in a report for the Bio-based Industries Consortium. If we had any doubt
May 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Limpopo Receives R940m Investment for Renewable Energy from US, Chinese Companies
(African News Agency/Engineering News) American and Chinese companies are set to invest R940-million in Limpopo to pursue renewable energy and ethanol profits, government and investors have announced. The United States’ Bio-Processing Innovation and the Beijing Singling Technology Centre said on
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Manildra Gave Inflated Jobs Figures to Minister before Ethanol Bill
by Sean Nicholls (Sidney Morning Herald) Ethanol producer Manildra gave vastly inflated figures to the NSW government about the number of people employed in the industry before legislation forcing small petrol retailers to sell the biofuel. According to better regulation minister Victor
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
More Misinformation from Fossil Fuel-Backed Special Interests about Renewable Energy
by Gabe Elsner (The Hill) ... American tax payers have paid conventional fuels more than $500 billion and counting over the last 100 years. The International Monetary Fund calculated global fossil fuel subsidies to be a whopping $5.3 trillion in 2015,
April 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Iowa Offers Tax Incentives In Bid To Become An Epicenter For Innovation In Bio-based Materials
by Steven Savage (Forbes) Last week the governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad, signed a bill which came to him with bipartisan support from the legislature. The measure institutes tax incentives designed to accelerate the growth of the emerging biotech industry
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Putting a Price on Carbon: Ensuring Equity
by Noah Kaufman, Michael Obeiter and Eleanor Krause (World Resources Institute) Putting a Price on Carbon: Ensuring Equity finds that the revenues form a carbon price can be used to address regional disparities and ensure that unfair burdens are not imposed
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Greenbelt Resources CEO Visits Cuba -- Company Seeks Partners to Deploy Sustainable Energy Technology
(Greenbelt Resources/PR Newswire) As a result of recent changes to Commerce Department regulations by the Obama administration regarding trade with Cuba, the advanced modular technology available from Greenbelt Resources Corporation (OTC: GRCO), an innovator of sustainable energy production systems, is
March 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Climate Risks Could Wreak Havoc on Financial Markets, EU Watchdog Warns
by Arthur Neslen (The Guardian) Banking advisory group calls for risk disclosure and stress tests to protect against climate inaction should move to low carbon economy happen too late -- The EU’s financial watchdog has called for governments to consider
March 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Republican Jay Faison Launches Super PAC to Boost Clean-Energy Candidates
by Rebecca Ballhaus (The Wall Street Journal) Republican millionaire Jay Faison is pushing his party to embrace clean energy, saying conservatives don’t need to be on the defensive on climate issues. The North Carolina businessman this week launched a super PAC
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Report Finds Iowa Well Positioned for Biorenewable Chemicals
(Iowa State University Bioeconomy Institute) A new white paper has found that Iowa is better positioned than many domestic competitors to capitalize on the next frontier of bioprocessing in the United States. The report, titled “Biobased Chemicals: The Iowa Opportunity,” was released
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
DATA CHECK: For Innovation, No Magic in 3% Rule
by Jeffrey Mervis (Science Magazine) Science policy wonks use the ratio of research spending to overall economic activity to judge whether a country is investing enough in innovation. For decades 3% has been the magic number, and Israel and South Korea
March 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Stimulating Investment To Grow the Biobased Economy
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/Biotechnology Innovation Organization) ... The challenge our industry faces right now is to continue building investment in the biobased economy. That can be accomplished with both policy and non-policy activities. ... On the policy front a new coordinated federal
February 29, 2016 Read Full Article
50 BC Cleantech CEOs Send Prime Minister Trudeau an Open Letter Outlining a National Cleantech Growth Strategy
(BC Cleantech CEO Alliance /NewsWire) The BC Cleantech CEO Alliance is a group of cleantech entrepreneurs and CEOs committed to accelerating British Columbia as a global hub of cleantech innovation, talent, capital and solutions to some of the world's most
February 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Yogi Berra on Bioenergy
by Douglas Faulkner (Biofuels Digest/Leatherstocking) ... In reflecting recently about the state of bioenergy and trends in the transportation industry, I was reminded of one of my favorite sayings of his (Yogi Berra's): “The future ain’t what it used to be”. Yogi
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
7 Megatrends for the Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Where is the bioeconomy headed? In the annual State of the Industry briefing at the 2016 Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference, the Digest presented a survey on that topic. Here are the trends we spotted in the
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Bailout the US Shale Oil/Gas Industry or Fund Clean Sustainable Renewable Transportation? A New Way of Looking at the Options. Press Release
For Immediate Release February 12, 2016—Frederick, MD Advanced Biofuels USA correspondent Robert E. Kozak analyses the potential for a reinvigorated US shale oil/gas industry with and without government subsidies; and compares it to the potential for near-term growth of renewable sustainable clean,
February 16, 2016 Read Full Article
After the Fall: Rebuilding US Liquid Fuel Production - Invest in Our Land or the Shale Oil Fields? (Part 2 of 2)
Efforts to promote a sustainable use of natural resources are not a waste of money, but rather an investment capable of providing other economic benefits in the medium term. If we look at the larger picture, we can see that
February 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Nigeria: Investing in an Ethanol Plant for Export
by Uba Godwin (This Day/AllAfrica.com/Global Trust Consulting Group) Uba Godwin writes on how cassava and other raw materials could be processed into ethanol for export -- It is disheartened that Nigerians at this level of technological development worldwide are still
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Moment of Truth for Pioneering Biofuel Project
by Mbongeni Mguni (Mmegi Online) A one-hectare plot containing 1,526 Jatropha trees bears the country’s hopes for greater energy diversity and the promise of an alternative revenue source for farmers. This week, Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI, finds that after four years
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Dealing with India's Sugar Mess
by Prerna Sharma (Nikkei Asian Review) Global commodity markets are going through one of their worst phases, thanks to sluggish demand and supply gluts. Most agricultural commodities have touched all-time price lows -- down 40% to 50% on average from
January 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Report Calls for Iowa Biochemical Tax Credit
by George C. Ford (The Gazette) Authors contend state offers 'discernible advantages' -- A report released Thursday (January 13, 2016) contends Iowa is better positioned than many other states to capture a large share of the emerging biorenewable chemical market,
January 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s 2016 State of the State Address, Renewable Energy Excerpts
(compiled by Governors' Coalition for Biofuels) ... In the 1980’s, Iowa began investing in renewable energies like ethanol, biodiesel and wind. We were the first state to implement a renewable electric standard which I signed it into law in 1983. At the
January 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Rubio: 'Let's Be No. 1' in Renewable Energy
by Kyle Feldscher (The Washington Examiner) Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio told a crowd of voters in New Hampshire Tuesday that he wants the United States to lead the world in renewable energy. It's a surprising statement from a lawmaker who
January 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Always Something to Learn at the Keystone Farm Show
by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Beginning the new year with a few days steeped in agriculture proved a great winter tonic, raising optimism that the seemingly ordinary people tromping through the York County Fair buildings at the Keystone Farm
January 08, 2016 Read Full Article
More Than $3.4 Trillion in Assets Vow to Divest From Fossil Fuels
by Zahara Hirji (InsideClimate News) The list of institutions committed to ridding their portfolios of at least some fossil fuel interests has surged in recent months, organizers say. --- More than 500 institutions representing about $3.4 trillion in assets have
December 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Building Green and Building Profits
by Rick Fedrizzi (US Green Building Council/GreenBiz) ... I’m constantly confronted by — and confronting — people who just don’t get who I am and what I do. You could say I stick out like a green thumb, thanks to my
November 12, 2015 Read Full Article
Tamil Nadu Sugar Mills Want Cap on Ethanol Output to Go
by Bharani Vaitheesvaran (Economic Times) Tamil Nadu sugar mills are lobbying for permissions to produce more ethanol as they find a state government-cap for making the fuel ingredient is disappointingly low. ... A steady drop in prices and production exceeding demand for two
November 11, 2015 Read Full Article
Strong RFS Support Offers Low-Risk Opportunity for Democrats to Connect with Voters They Need to Retake Majority
by Ryan Fitzpatrick (Third Way) Although relatively obscure by Washington standards, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) carries a unique level of importance and visibility in many rural states. The fact that the RFS invariably becomes a priority campaign issue for
November 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Premier Plugs Business and Biofuels at Economic Forum
by Emma McBryde (Sunshine Coast Daily) ... A biofuels project aimed at boosting the industry will come under the spotlight when the premier ( Annastacia Palaszczuk) visits Mackay on Thursday. She will take her cabinet subcommittee to view Asahi Holdings and Queensland
October 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Time Running out to Sell Ukraine's Ethanol-Producing Monopoly
by Ilya Timtchenko (Kyiv Post) An estimated 600 million hryvnias ($28 million) in losses last year and 41 rundown factories - that's what Roman Ivaniuk inherited at the beginning of January, when he accepted his latest job as temporary general
October 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Rutgers Report Assesses New Jersey Bioenergy Potential
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) A recent Rutgers University assessment on bioenergy potential in New Jersey found that the state producers over 7 million dry tons of biomass annually, over 4 million of which could be recovered and used to
September 30, 2015 Read Full Article
Seaweed Farming: An Alternative Livelihood for Coastal Communities
by Dr Gloria Naa Dzama Addico & Mr Kweku Amoako Atta deGraft-Johnson (Graphic Online) When one economic activity is on the decline, there is always the natural urge to look for alternatives. That is the situation confronting the coastal communities in
September 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Financing Fell Through - Stora Enso and Neste Oil's Biodiesel Project on Ice
(Talloussanomat (Google Translation)) The European Commission dropped today, Neste Oil's and Stora Enso's biodiesel project support financial listings basin. Financing following the failure of companies are putting up investment in billion-euro project to require ice, Stora Enso told Taloussanomat. Investment
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
USDA, TDA Announce Seed Funding to Ignite Agri-Tech Entrepreneurship
(Tennessee Department of Agriculture) The next great business idea just may come from rural Tennessee. USDA Rural Development and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture today announced $220,000 in combined seed funding for a new initiative to help make Tennessee a
August 21, 2015 Read Full Article
California's New Energy and Climate Goals Will Create Jobs and Boost the Economy
(Advanced Energy Economy/PR Newswire) Advanced energy business leaders went to the California Capitol building today to express support for Gov. Brown's energy and climate goals for 2030 and Senate President Pro-tempore Kevin de León's bill to put those goals into law.
August 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Sugarcane Bioethanol Project in Sierra Leone Underscores the Challenge of Producing Bioenergy in the Developing World
by Andrew Burger (Renewable Energy World) ... An ambitious bioenergy project in Sierra Leone highlights the sometimes-blurry line that separates development that is sustainable from that which is exploitative, as well as the numerous challenges faced when undertaking projects in poorly
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
The GOP's All-of-the-Above Energy Policy Is Nothing Like Obama's
by Rebecca Leber (New Republic) ... Walker and Bush intend to end subsidies for clean energy, largely continue the same century-old tax breaks that remain for fossil fuels, and encourage expanded federal permits for coal and oil extraction. Consider Walker's full quote
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
The Real Bioeconomy Builders
by Matt Carr (Biomass Magazine/Algae Biomass Organization) ... Newcomers are often surprised to find that there are very few investment firms with a specific mission to invest in the bioeconomy. Evaluating an investment opportunity in the space requires specialized knowledge in
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Celebrating a Decade of Success: The RFS Turns 10!
(Renewable Fuels Association) This Saturday marks 10 years since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) containing the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The first RFS set America on a path
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Towards a Viable Alternative for Domestic Cooking in Ethiopia
(Stockholm Environment Institute) This discussion brief is based on findings from a workshop carried out by SEI in Addis Ababa in conjunction with the presentation of the SCIP study results.... It also draws on insights given by nine experts interviewed in Addis Ababa
August 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Chemical Firms Seek Better Grasp of Biomanufacturing
by Andy Extance (Chemistry World) Hope and expectation surround the chemical industry’s increasing adoption of biotechnological manufacturing – but today, their lengthy development times and complex processes mean frustration is a major by-product. ‘The process of developing industrial biomanufacturing [IB] processes
July 29, 2015 Read Full Article
“The Time Is Ripe” for a Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit
by Corinne Young and Michele Jalbert (Biofuels Digest/Renewable Chemicals and Advanced Materials Alliance (re:chem)) ... Buoyed in wake of our successful Farm Bill expansion of USDA 9003 loan guarantees to renewable chemicals/bioproduct manufacturing and progress toward bipartisan TSCA reform, re:chem remains
July 27, 2015 Read Full Article
Ethiopia: The Biofuel Myth
by Jose Graziano DA Silva (UN Food and Agriculture Organization/AllAfrica.com) Over the past several years, biofuels have become a bone of contention. For some, a renewable energy source produced from organic matter amounts to a magic wand in the fight
July 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Petroleum, Supply Ministries Cooperate to Transform Cooking Oil into Biodiesel
by Menna Samir (Daily News Egypt) ... A protocol agreement to activate the reuse of cooking oil and transform it into biodiesel was signed between the Ministries of Petroleum and Supply, as well as the Alexandria Company for Petroleum Additives (ACPA),
July 15, 2015 Read Full Article
It's Time for a Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee for Fuels -- Press Release
“If we’re serious about reducing Climate Change caused by Green House Gases, then we need serious actions,” said Joanne Ivancic, Executive Director of Advanced Biofuels USA on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. “The first steps are including the price of
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
It's Time for a Non-Renewable Carbon User Fee for Fuels
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA introduced a new idea for capturing externalities of non-renewable fuels at the Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum held in the Caucus Room of the US House of
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Industry Must 'Implode' to Avoid Climate Disaster, Says Top Scientist
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) ‘The age of carbon is over’ and a transition to a greener economy is inevitable, says Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, adviser to the German government and Pope Francis ... Professor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, an adviser to the German government
July 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Washington Should Help Capitalize Green Banks
by Mark Muro and Reed Hundt (The Brookings Institution) ... While the federal government has not been able to lead on the design of modern clean energy and infrastructure finance entities, it now has the opportunity, with its billions of underutilized
July 06, 2015 Read Full Article
Nearly Half of Senate Writes Urging for Streamlined Support for Forest Bioenergy
by Megan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, nearly half of the US Senate has written to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy and the EPA administrator strongly urging the agencies to streamline support of biomass for energy across all
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
California Ethanol Granted $750K Loan from County
by Michael Dukes (Imperial Valley Press) The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved California Ethanol + Power LLC's proposal to build an ethanol plant in Imperial County back in 2013, but at the time, significant funding hurdles remained in place
July 02, 2015 Read Full Article
Brazil's Biofuel Industry Finds New Sweetspot
by Daniel Gallas (BBC) ... It is widely available in gas stations across the country. The majority of new cars are able to run on either petrol or sugarcane-based ethanol. The government played a key role in boosting this alternative. Ethanol prices
July 01, 2015 Read Full Article
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Has Forbidden Distillery Plants to Produce Biofuels
(Ukrainian Biofuel Portal) According to the decree №319 from May 20, 12 distilleries owned by the state have been excluded from the list of companies eligible for the production of bioethanol. This document change the decree "On approval of lists of companies
June 30, 2015 Read Full Article
EU Green Lights €120M in Advanced Bioeconomy Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Brussels, The Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership between the EU and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), has approved the funding of 10 projects totalling €120 million to boost the EU capacity to
June 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Thompson, Coons, Moran, Poe Bill Will Level the Playing Field for Renewable Energy
(Real Estate Rama) Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act would give renewable energy projects access to a tax advantage currently available only to oil, gas, and coal projects U.S. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA-05) and Ted Poe (R-TX-02), and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE)
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Key Excerpts Related to Fossil Fuels from Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) The following are key excerpts from Pope Francis' Encyclical, “Laudato Si,” or “Praised Be,” in which he calls for renewable fuel use, energy efficiency, transition from harmful, smoky cooking fuels that foster deforestation, and other
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
New Report Shows U.S. Biobased Products Industry Contributes $369 Billion, 4 Million Jobs to American Economy
(US Department of Agriculture) 2014 Farm Bill provisions will expand opportunities in the biobased sector by promoting advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing efforts Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the release of a new report that shows the
June 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Government Boosts Ethanol Fuels to Create New Industry Jobs
by Tony Moore (The Age) The Queensland Government wants to boost the proportion of sugarcane-derived ethanol in petrol sales from 1.2 per cent to 2 per cent by July 2016, as a catalyst to a $1.8 billion bio-refining industry. It wants to
June 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Argentinian Ethanol Producers Seek 12% Blend in Gasoline
(Platts) Argentinian ethanol producers are pressing the government to boost the blend in gasoline to 12% from 10%, an effort led by the struggling sugarcane sector, an industry source said Thursday. ... With a glut of sugar in the world, it is
May 04, 2015 Read Full Article
In China’s Inner Mongolia, Mining Spells Misery for Traditional Herders
by Simon Denyer (The Washington Post) ... The vast, wind-swept grasslands of Inner Mongolia have been home to nomadic pastoralists for thousands of years, but the rich resources that lay under these rolling prairies have proved a curse to the people
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Climate Change: UN Backs Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaign
by Damian Carrington (The Guardian) Keep it in the ground. Framework convention on climate change says it shares aim for strong deal on fighting global warming at Paris summit. The UN organisation in charge of global climate change negotiations is backing the
March 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Dangerously in Denial on Climate Change
by Catherine Rampell (The Washington Post) ... In recent weeks, West Virginia has snatched national headlines for its attempts to doctor school science standards to discredit climate change. The sixth-grade science curriculum, for example, was amended so that, rather than having
January 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Zimbabwe: Govt Okays Ethanol Project
(AllAfrica) The Zanu-PF leadership here has given the Zimbabwe Bio-Energy the green light to set up a US$500 million ethanol plant at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi in a development expected to help the province attain targets set under Zim-Asset. The proposed
January 15, 2015 Read Full Article
VC Surprise: Spruce Capital, Xeraya Capital Announce First Close of New $150M Biogreentech Venture Fund
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As a newly-closed venture fund opens for business with a distinctly Malaysian flavor, we look at the state of venture capital and the new role of integrated sovereign investment. From California and Malaysia comes the news
January 09, 2015 Read Full Article
Governor McAuliffe Announces New Virginia Bioscience Initiative
(Augusta Free Press) Governor Terry McAuliffe on Thursday announced a Virginia Bioscience Initiative, kicking off the effort with a public and private sector roundtable discussion on the commercialization of university bioscience research at the State Capitol. University representatives and bio
January 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Aided by Controversial Federal Program
by Henry C. Jackson (Capital Press/Associated Press) The refinery in Hugoton, Kan., built by Seville, Spain-based Abengoa, is the largest cellulosic biorefinery in the world. At the RV Park he owns in a remote corner of southwestern Kansas, Jan Leonard is
December 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Plant Expansions Fueled by Shale Gas Boom to Boost Greenhouse Gas, Toxic Air Emissions
by Talla Buford (The Center for Public Integrity) ... By 2018, the land (Stacey) Ryan and other holdouts have fought to keep will be consumed by an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and a multibillion-dollar gas-to-liquids facility, a massive addition to
December 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Government to Promote Alternative Fuels and Hybrid Engines
(Business Standard) Speaking during the Conference on Biofuel 2014 here today, the Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Godkari said that his Government would take all efforts to remove hurdles in the increased production and usage of biofuels
November 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Roussef Re-Elected: How It Impacts the Ethanol Sector in Brazil
by Laís Thomaz* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The final round of the Brazil election happened on October 26th, 2015, and Dilma Roussef, from the Workers Party (PT), was re-elected with 51.4% of the votes. This election was full of unexpected events
November 06, 2014 Read Full Article
Conservative Swing! Udall, Hagan Fall as US Republicans Take Control of the US Senate
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The most prominent casualties of the night, in terms of the Advanced Bioeconomy, were Democrats Mark Udall of Colorado and Kay Hagen of North Carolina, whose crucial support in 2012 saved the Navy’s biofuels
November 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Carbon Correctness, or Alice in Carbonland
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Let me get this straight. The EPA says that emissions from petroleum are bad. Landfilling carbon is really bad. Climate change is really, really bad. Recycling is good. So far, understood. But now the
November 03, 2014 Read Full Article
The Next Revolution: Discarding Dangerous Fossil Fuel Accounting Practices
by Alex Nicolson (Renewable Energy World) ... Economists recognize the existence of these costs and call them “externalities.” Other than this recognition, externalities are still not assigned to their correct sources. As just one example, consider the enormous U.S. military budget,
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Creating a Strong Economy through Biobased Products
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/The Hill) In a recently released report entitled “Why Biobased?” the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) answers the question of why America should invest in a biobased economy. The report explores the economic impacts of
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
Biofuels Help Boost Sustainable Transport and Support Rural Development in Africa: GRFA
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, as the first African Sustainable Transport Forum gets under way in Nairobi, Kenya, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) called on forum attendees to adopt biofuels friendly policies and regulations that would kick-start the increased use
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
National Algae Association Encourages US Algae Producers to Label Algae-based Products “Made in the USA”.
(National Algae Association) The National Algae Association is pleased to see commercial algae production taking place in the US, and is encouraging all US-based algae producers to label their algae products made in America “Made in the USA.” Those that qualify should
October 20, 2014 Read Full Article
Green Growth: A U.S. Program for Controlling Climate Change and Expanding Job Opportunities
by Robert Pollin, Heidi Garrett-Peltier, James Heintz, and Bracken Hendricks (Center for American Progress) ... This report quantifies the level of investment required for the United States to align emissions reductions with international goals in an economically beneficial and
September 18, 2014 Read Full Article
Divest/Invest: Global Charities Challenged to Help 'Save Civilization'
by Deirdre Fulton (Common Dreams) Could world's wealthy philanthropic foundations spur a 'tipping point' on climate action? A group of 160 leading environmentalists is calling on the world's philanthropists and foundations to use their money to "create a tipping point on
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
USDA REAP Sinks $3.4 Billion into Rural Economies
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) Though the USDA Rural Energy for America Program has been hugely successful since it was first implemented in the 2002 Farm Bill, numerous changes have been implemented over the years in order to maximize program value. To
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Honduras Opens Ethanol Production Plant
(Caribbean Journal) Honduras has opened its first ethanol plant in the eastern portion of the country. It plant is part of a wider initiative led by the Organization of American States to broaden cooperation on biofuels within the hemisphere. The plant was
August 28, 2014 Read Full Article
Grant for Ethanol Plant to be Matched
by Katherine Johnson (Progress-Index) City Council has adopted the Vireol performance agreement, which is a matching funds grant for $250,000 for the firm that has opened a long-delayed ethanol plant in Hopewell. City Manager Mark Haley said the city controls the
August 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Thai Govt to Aim for Rubber Supply Cut to Support Prices
by Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat (Reuters) Thailand's military government will encourage farmers in the world's biggest rubber producer and exporter to cut down more rubber trees in a bid to restrict supply to help shore up prices, a senior government official said
August 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Robert Rubin: How Ignoring Climate Change Could Sink the U.S. Economy
by Robert Rubin (The Washington Post) Good economic decisions require good data. And to get good data, we must account for all relevant variables. But we’re not doing this when it comes to climate change — and that means we’re
July 27, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethiopia Continues Jatropha Biodiesel Production
by Zerihun Getachew (All Africa) Ethiopia is producing biodiesel from jatropha plant with 56 million birr said Water, Irrigation and Energy Ministry. According to Public Relations Director with the ministry, Bizuneh Tolcha , the production of biodiesel from jatropha is
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Some Good News for a Change: Why The Farm Bill Is a Big Win for Biofuels and Biorefineries
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Industry Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... The true good news is that the Senate conferees prevailed in getting $881 million in mandatory funding over the next ten years to renewable energy and biofuels initiatives and extending incentives for the
February 20, 2014 Read Full Article
A Few More Storms Like Typhoon Haiyan May Finally Make Our Leaders Act on Climate Change
by Jeffrey D. Sachs (The Washington Post/Earth Institute at Columbia University) ...Through all of this, Congress sits supine. And it’s no mystery why: The oil and gas industry has spent about $1.5 billion on registered lobbying in the past 15 years and hundreds
November 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Cheap Corn Deters Buyers in U.S. Sugar-for-Ethanol Program
by Alan Bjerga and Marvin G. Perez (Bloomberg) A glut of corn has damped interest by biofuel makers in a U.S. government program to sell surplus sugar for ethanol, potentially decreasing its effectiveness in propping up sugar prices. With the U.S.
August 29, 2013 Read Full Article
Infrastructure, Energy and Natural Resources: Senate Finance Committee Staff Tax Reform Options for Discussion
(US Senate Finance Committee) This document is the fourth in a series of papers compiling tax reform options that Finance Committee members may wish to consider as they work towards reforming our nation’s tax system. This compilation is a joint product
April 26, 2013 Read Full Article
If 90% Acknowledged Their Belief that the Middle Class Are the Job Creators….
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the conclusion of the Center for American Progress’s special presentation on “Competing Visions for the U.S. Economy and Implications for the 2012 Elections,” featured presenter, Nick Hanauer summed up the gist of the
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
The Government Wants Your Advice on Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What do they need, you ask? Your insight on, broadly speaking, how to structure the national bioeconomy blueprint, in the case of the US. In case of Canada, how to best structure the Clean Energy
October 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Congress Needs Courage to End Oil, Gas Subsidies
by Ryan Alexander (Taxpayers for Common Sense/Seacoastonline.com) ...For 16 years, Taxpayers for Common Sense has been advocating for the elimination of federal spending that does not deliver a fair return to taxpayers. Topping our list are a menu of tax
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Ralph Avalone Letter to Mitt Romney
Dear Mr. Romney, I have just finished watching your press conference from Las Vegas, Nevada introducing your plan for job creation here in America and I heard your question: "Where are the Green Jobs?" You said that we are an energy rich
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
.jpg)
Our Sponsors
FREE Subscription! Advanced Biofuels USA events calendar; policy and actions; education newsletters
