by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A team of researchers have designed a project to support development of woody feedstocks forUniversity of Maine’s Thermal Deoxygenation pathway to produce renewable aviation fuel and chemicals. The goal of the project is to prepare woody
Maine
Back TO HOMEUSDA Backs Research into Making Sustainable Jet Fuel and Fish Feed from Wood
(University of Maine) Millions of pounds of low-value wood, such as small diameter trees and branches, have been left behind in Maine’s forests due to the decline in pulp and paper production, stymied by drought, fire suppression and dropping demand. While
August 08, 2024 Read Full Article
Offshore Wind Turbines Offer Path for Clean Hydrogen Production
by Wayne Hicks (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) NREL Researchers Identify Promising Locations off US Coastlines for Installation of Technology -- Using electricity generated by offshore wind turbines as one pathway to split water to produce clean hydrogen may make economic sense, particularly
July 29, 2024 Read Full Article
Gumption and the Folk What Got It: A Digest 17th Birthday Essay
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) I have good news to share today, from Ensyn; also, from a company called Matereal that’s been bubbling below the surface for some time and is now emerged from stealth. Finally, from a worthy group called
July 29, 2024 Read Full Article
Nexus Development Capital Announces Investment in Castlerock Biofuels
(Nexus Development Capital/PR Newswire) Nexus Development Capital, LLC (NDC), a leading investment firm specializing in catalytic capital for teams deploying low-carbon infrastructure, is pleased to announce an investment of approximately $9 million in Castlerock Biofuels LLC (Castlerock Biofuels), a joint venture company led
July 25, 2024 Read Full Article
bluShift Aerospace Secures $2.3M to Accelerate Development of Small Satellite Launch Services, Appoints Brady Brim-DeForest as Chairman
(bluShift Aerospace/Yahoo! Finance) The aerospace startup will use the new investment funds to continue its rapid expansion into the orbital and small satellite services markets. -- bluShift Aerospace announced today that it has raised $1.3M in a seed round, led by Houston-based
June 05, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2024 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn’s current focus is on low-carbon fuels, including low-carbon heating and cooling solutions for institutional and industrial customers and low-carbon feedstock solutions for petroleum refineries for the production of renewable transportation fuels. Ensyn Chairman Robert Graham
May 13, 2024 Read Full Article
Garamendi, King Introduce Biomass for Transportation Fuel Act
(Office of Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA 8th)) Supports renewable electricity from forest byproducts to charge electric vehicles -- Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and Senator Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME) introduced the "Biomass for Transportation Fuel Act” (H.R.7609), with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
April 24, 2024 Read Full Article
Attorney General Bird Leads 13-State Lawsuit to Pull the Plug on Biden Electric Vehicle Handout and Defend Ethanol
(Office of Iowa Attorney General) Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today led a 13-state coalition in a lawsuit to pull the plug on Biden’s electric vehicle handout and defend ethanol. -- In Biden’s most recent attack in the war on gas vehicles, he
April 12, 2024 Read Full Article
Garamendi, King Introduce Bill to Allow Biomass Power to Participate in the RFS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, on March 11 each introduced legislation that aims to allow facilities generating renewable electricity from forest biomass, such as woodchips or sawdust, to participate in the
March 19, 2024 Read Full Article
Embracing the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule, or Not?
by Emma Frantz (ACT News) ... Originating in California from a need to curb air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this regulatory initiative emerged as a pivotal strategy to decarbonize and reduce the environmental footprint of the trucking industry. The ACT
January 18, 2024 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2023 Multi-Slide Guide to BDNE and the Circular Carbon Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) BDNE was formed In 2019 to commercialize proprietary Biofine technology and is the exclusive Licensee of the IP Portfolio for the Northeast Region. This is a patented continuous chemical conversion process, enabling the economic production of
November 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Clean Biofuel Production and Phytoremediation Solutions from Contaminated Lands Worldwide
(Phy2Climate) ... Phy2Climate is a project funded by Horizon 2020 EU’s Research and Innovation programme. The overall objective of the Phy2Climate project is to build the bridge between the phytoremediation of contaminated sites with the production of clean drop-in biofuels and
November 15, 2023 Read Full Article
Low Carbon Fuels 2040: The Emerging Markets
(Biofuels Digest/Nuu Media) Low Carbon Fuels 2040: The Emerging Markets provides detailed case studies, updates and analysis of the key producers and developers participating in Renewable Diesel projects and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) projects in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, and in South
November 07, 2023 Read Full Article
The Potential of Agrivoltaics for the U.S. Solar Industry, Farmers, and Communities
by Michele Boyd (U.S. Department of Energy) Large-scale solar energy installations are a relatively new form of development in many rural areas. Solar energy development can create clean energy, jobs, and other economic benefits in these communities. At the same time, the
November 06, 2023 Read Full Article
INSIGHT: 16 US States May Restrict Sale of Combustion-Based Autos
by Al Greenwood (Independent Commodity Interlligence Services) Several US states could adopt restrictions on the sale of light vehicles that rely primarily on internal combustion engines (ICE), which would lower demand for liquid fuels while increasing demand for plastics and chemicals
October 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Biden Launches American Climate Corps
by Robin Bravender (Politico Pro Greenwire) A government program aimed at putting young people to work on climate has been on President Joe Biden’s wish list for years. -- President Joe Biden is launching a new federal program that aims to put
September 21, 2023 Read Full Article
USDA Award to NIU Could Lead to World’s First Biomass Pipeline
(Northern Illinois University/Biomass Magazine) ... Mirbod (Dr. Parisa Mirbod (the Mirbod Lab) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Biofine Developments Northeast Inc.) and her group at UIC will investigate the phenomena behind plug flow formation and drag reduction effect
June 07, 2023 Read Full Article
Threat to Whales Complicates US Research into Seaweed for Biofuel
by Gloria Dickie (Reuters) U.S. Department of Energy has invested $55 million in seaweed biofuel research; Whale biologists worry kelp growing gear could entangle critically endangered North Atlantic right whales; Seaweed farms test out stiffer, whale-friendly gear -- ... Now, the
June 07, 2023 Read Full Article
US EPA Recommends Delaying Electric Vehicles Biofuel Program -Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters)The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recommended delaying a scheme that would give electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers tradable credits under a federal biofuel program, in a final rule that the White House will now
May 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Two U.S. Senators Introduce New Carbon Removal Legislation
by Dimana Doneva (Carbon Herald) Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced on May 12 the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act. The new legislation directs the Departments of Energy and Interior to put in place new research programs
May 23, 2023 Read Full Article
Peaks Renewables Joins BDO Zone Strategic Alliance
(BDO Zone) Ecostrat is pleased to announce that Peaks Renewables has joined the BDO Zone Strategic Alliance as a partner in the Project Group. BDO Zone Strategic Alliance Partners include some of the leading companies in the bioenergy industry that help de-risk biobased project
April 26, 2023 Read Full Article
The Agriculture Resilience Act: Rep. Pingree Reintroduces Bill to Put U.S. on Path to Net-Zero Agriculture Emissions
(Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME 1st)) Farming has always been a risky business. But today, extreme weather events and trade wars are creating challenges that threaten food production and jeopardize farmers’ livelihoods. We must work to keep farmers on the
March 28, 2023 Read Full Article
Lincoln Signs Agreement with Biofuels Refinery to Develop Former Mill Site
by Julie Harris (Bangor Daily News) Lincoln has agreed to a 20-plus-year lease with a biofuels refinery that wants to produce wood-based heating fuel at the former Lincoln Pulp and Tissue mill site. Biofine Developments Northeast plans to invest more than $100
March 27, 2023 Read Full Article
University of Maine Outlines Ways to Recruit More Women into Forestry Bioenergy Sector
(Bioenergy Insight) University of Maine researchers have devised a roadmap to recruit more women into the forestry industry, and particularly the bioenergy sector. The team, led by Abigayl “Abby” Novak, a master’s student in forest resources at the BioEnergy Lab of the
December 01, 2022 Read Full Article
DG Fuels Signs Key Maine Land Agreement
by Dan Brown (DG Fuels) DG Fuels, LLC (“DGF”), an emerging leader in drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) production, announces the execution of a long-term lease agreements with the Loring Development Authority for 1,240 acres of contiguous land in Aroostock County,
November 14, 2022 Read Full Article
Hot Spots: The 50 Hottest Project Development & Deployment Spots in the Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Here are the 50 Hottest Project Development & Deployment Spots in the Advanced Bioeconomy for 2022, as selected by the Digest’s editors. READ MORE
October 28, 2022 Read Full Article
An Unlikely Pairing in Portland? Maine Standard Biofuels Buying Urban Farm Fermentory
by Hannah LaClaire (Press Herald) The fermentory, which makes cider, kombucha and mead, may soon be acquired by Maine Standard Biofuels, which recycles cooking oil into heating fuel. -- ... But their respective founders, Eli Cayer and Jarmin Kaltsas, said it
September 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Inside Innovation: Long Live Electric, But Diesel’s Not Dead Yet
by John Bleasby (Daily Commercial News) ... When projected over 10 years between 2022 and 2032, it found considerable advantages with advanced diesel technology, particularly when using renewable biofuels, as compared to an electrification strategy. The study found using low-carbon renewable bio-based
September 07, 2022 Read Full Article
New Jersey and New York Communities to Benefit from EPA Grant to Support Anaerobic Digestion Technology
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a $200,000 grant to the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA) to support anaerobic digestion technology in 11 states in the Northeast, New England the Mid-Atlantic, including New Jersey
August 31, 2022 Read Full Article
Maine, Rhode Island Join New York-Led Coalition on Hydrogen Hub Bid
(Renewables Now) New York governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced that Maine and Rhode Island have joined a big consortium led by New York that is working on a proposal to become one of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs
August 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Quantifying Baseline Costs and Cataloging Potential Optimization Strategies for Kelp Aquaculture Carbon Dioxide Removal
by Struan Coleman , Tobias Dewhurst, David W. Fredriksson, Adam T. St. Gelais, Kelly L. Cole, Michael MacNicoll, Eric Laufer, and Damian C. Brady (School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine) To keep global surface warming below 1.5 °C by
July 26, 2022 Read Full Article
Research Finds More Emissions Benefits at Lower Cost from Accelerated Fleet Turnover and Use of Bio- and Renewable Fuels than Switching to Electrified Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks
(Diesel Technology Forum/Globe Newswire) A new study that evaluates several approaches to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and other emissions from medium and heavy-duty vehicles from 2022-2032 finds considerable advantages with advanced diesel technology particularly when using renewable biofuels, as compared to
July 25, 2022 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Are Urging EPA to Get RFS Back on Track
by Currey McCullough (RFD TV) Just this morning (July 19, 2022) on a call with ag reporters, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said he and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar are sending a letter urging the EPA to increase volumes of biodiesel
July 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Can We Hack DNA in Plants to Help Fight Climate Change?
by Madeleine Stone (National Geographic) Using CRISPR genome editing on a few common crops, a team of plant and soil scientists seeks to vastly increase and speed up carbon storage to help fight climate change. -- ... we will also need to
July 19, 2022 Read Full Article
Collins, Cantwell Introduce Carbon Removal Bill
by Manuel Quiñones (E&E News/Politico Pro) "Our bipartisan bill would spur research and development for carbon removal technologies, as well as accelerate the commercialization of innovative carbon removal solutions to help make them more affordable," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
June 20, 2022 Read Full Article
It's Time For Ethanol Honesty: Sparring with the New Spate of Anti-Ethanol Scatological Slurs
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) The April announcement by Joe Biden that E15 would be allowed to be sold year-round set off a frenzied spate of new attacks on the good fuel...the clean fuel...the 100% domestically produced fuel: ETHANOL. TV
April 27, 2022 Read Full Article
Seaweed Farming Has Vast Potential (But Good Luck Getting a Permit)
by Alex Brown (PEW Stateline) ... The state’s permitting process involves nine different agencies, and the paperwork is so burdensome and time-consuming that few people bother. “There's a lot of people who are interested in seaweed farming, take a look at that
March 31, 2022 Read Full Article
bluShift Conducts First Biofuel Rocket Engine Test
(Aerospace Testing International) aine, USA-based rocket developer bluShift has performed the first full-scale test of its hybrid, biofuel rocket engine. As shown in the video ..., the test of the Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL 2.0) fired the
March 08, 2022 Read Full Article
Farm Bill Takes Aim at ‘Draconian’ Hemp Regulations in Maine
by Julia Bayly (Bangor Daily News) ... The 2018 farm bill may have legalized hemp production, but it’s going to take language in the 2023 farm bill to remove lingering red tape regulating the crop. Those regulations stem from laws governing production of marijuana
February 23, 2022 Read Full Article
EXCLUSIVE New York Pension Fund to Divest Half Its Shale Companies
by Ross Kerber (Reuters) ... "To protect the state pension fund, we are restricting investments in companies that we believe are unprepared to adapt to a low-carbon future," (New York Comptroller Thomas) DiNapoli said in a statement sent by a
February 11, 2022 Read Full Article
An Energy Transition Needs Lots of Power Lines.
by Dan Gearino (Inside Climate News) This 1970s Minnesota Farmers’ Uprising Tried to Block One. What Can it Teach Us? As the country moves toward a massive build-out of transmission lines, a decades-old rebellion offers a way through potential opposition. -- If
January 04, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Reverses Trump Effort to Quash California Vehicle Emissions Rules
by David Shepardson (Reuters) The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a reversal of a rule issued under then-U.S. President Donald Trump that sought to pre-empt California's vehicle emissions regulations. The Department of Transportation said it was issuing final rules rescinding the Trump
December 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Do We Want All of These Electric Car Mines? If EVs Are Supposed to Be a Social Good, How Do We Deal with Them Needing Mines Nobody Wants?
by Raphael Orlove (Jalopnik) ... 1st Gear: Here’s Another Fun ‘Wait Do We Actually Want These Lithium Mines’ Article -- Every day I feel like there’s a new article about lithium mining coming home. Just the other day, Bloomberg was wringing its
December 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Maine Hits the Brakes on 145-Mile Transmission Project
by Matthew Choi (Politico's Morning Energy) Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim suspended the permits for the New England Clean Energy Connect, a controversial 145-mile transmission project that would deliver hydropower from Quebec into New England. The suspension
November 24, 2021 Read Full Article
Northeast States Abandon Cap-and-Trade Plan for Cars
(E&E News) The Transportation and Climate Initiative — a cap-and-trade program covering cars in three Northeastern states and the District of Columbia — was abandoned last week after Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) pulled
November 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Orbex Set to Launch World’s Most Environmentally Friendly Space Rocket
(Orbex/SpaceRef) The carbon footprint of launching the new Orbex Prime space rocket will be up to 96 per cent lower than comparable space launch programmes, a new scientific study has revealed. Prime is poised to become one of the most environmentally friendly
October 22, 2021 Read Full Article
SoCalGas’ Biomethanation Reactor System to be Used in Maine Dairy Digester
(SoCalGas) The reactor is part of a $5 million project funded by the Department of Energy -- SoCalGas’ biomethanation reactor system will be used to help produce renewable energy as part of a power-to-gas demonstration. This system will be installed at
October 19, 2021 Read Full Article
Maine Is in Danger of Losing Some of Its Best Agricultural Land to Solar Farms
by Julia Bayly (Bangor Daily News) Approximately 67,000 fixed-tilt, bifacial panels will comprise a solar farm under construction at the Eastern Piscataquis Industrial Park in Milo. There is growing concern that development of solar farms will come at the expense
October 18, 2021 Read Full Article
DOE Announces Nearly $65 Million for Biofuels Research to Reduce Airplane and Ship Emissions
(U.S. Department of Energy) Projects align with administration's new goal of decarbonizing the aviation sector by 2050 - - As part of a White House roundtable to launch the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Grand Challenge to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $64.7 million in funding for projects
September 10, 2021 Read Full Article
Former Lincoln Mill Property Eyed for Biofuel Development Site
by Lia Russell (Bangor Daily News) The town of Lincoln may see a refinery for a wood-based heating fuel move onto its former mill site. Biofine Developments Northeast Inc. said Thursday it had reached a tentative agreement with Lincoln and Lincoln Lakes
August 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Feinstein, Toomey, Menendez, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Repeal Ethanol Mandate
(Office of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today introduced the Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act, a bill to end the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard. The
July 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Avangrid Outlines US Green Hydrogen Vision
(ReNewsBiz) Avangrid has submitted green hydrogen project concepts on the US east and west coasts in response to the Department of Energy’s request for information (RfI). The green hydrogen project concepts are in the states of Connecticut, New York, Maine, Oregon and
July 08, 2021 Read Full Article
Algae Camp --- July 6-9, 2021 --- Portland, ME
Planning a family trip to the beautiful Maine coast this summer? Why not have your kiddos also learn about the wonderful world of algae! The University of Southern Maine and Maine Robotics is hosting the first ever Algae Camp. In collaboration
June 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Shaheen, Collins Lead Bipartisan Letter to EPA Urging Support for Biomass Industry
(Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)) U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) led a bipartisan letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan urging the Biden administration to address languishing applications under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program, including
June 17, 2021 Read Full Article
Maine $17B Pension Fund Directed to Divest from Fossil Fuels
by Harun Asad (Environment & Energy Leader) In a U.S. first, the state of Maine has passed legislation – bill LD99 – directing the $17 billion Maine Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) to divest $1.3 billion from fossil fuels within 5 years and
June 11, 2021 Read Full Article
10 Worlds That Shook This Day: 10 Different Worlds Shaken to Their Foundations by Events Taking Place around the World and within the Circular Economy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Things move faster these days, and in the past 24 hours, we’ve had 10 different Worlds shaken to their foundations by events taking place around the world and within the Circular Economy. 1. United States announced
May 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Press Release: Advanced Biofuels USA Files Comments on Transportation and Climate Initiative: Calls for Extension of Program to Aviation, Trains, Marine/Maritime, Agriculture, Rocket Launches and Natural Gas
(Advanced Biofuels USA) Advanced Biofuels USA suggests an expansion of transportation emissions reduction in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) proposed Draft Model Rule (TCI-P) in public comments filed today. Currently, the proposed emission reduction program is limited to on-road
May 07, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Faces Pressure to Drive Gasoline and Diesel Cars out of the US
by Oliver Milman (The Guardian) Joe Biden’s administration, seeking deep cuts to planet-heating emissions, is facing pressure to take a previously unthinkable step: declare the end of the internal combustion engine in the US. Washington state has moved to call time on
May 04, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Is Hiking the Cost of Carbon. It Will Change How the U.S. Tackles Global Warming.
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) President Biden on Friday dramatically altered the way the U.S. government calculates the real-world cost of climate change, a move that could reshape a range of consequential decisions, from whether to allow new coal
February 26, 2021 Read Full Article
Groundbreaking Biofuel Rocket Could Be 'Uber for Space'
by Jane O'Brien (BBC News) Snow swirled and a biting wind sent temperatures plummeting to several degrees below zero as the Stardust 1.0 made its debut at a former military base in Maine. ... But after several delays and as the
February 02, 2021 Read Full Article
bluShift Aerospace Makes History with Biofuel-Powered Rocket Launch
by C. Thatcher Carter (Times Record/Press Herald) Despite technical setbacks early on, the Brunswick-based company successfully launched its first rocket around Sunday afternoon. -- Despite frigid weather and early technical difficulties, Brunswick’s bluShift Aerospace Inc., made history Sunday afternoon when it
February 01, 2021 Read Full Article
Buyer Announced for Shuttered Trash Plant
by Anne Berleant (Ellsworth American) Delta Thermo Energy will be the new owner of Coastal Resources of Maine, the waste-to-biofuel facility in Hampden that has had a dramatic, if short, history since opening in April 2019. The facility closed in May
January 21, 2021 Read Full Article
Weather Delays Launch of Biofuel Rocket Made by Maine Company
by Alice Keefe (WMTW) ... BluShift had planned to launch the rocket from the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, but the launch was scrubbed Friday afternoon. The rocket launch will likely be rescheduled to Tuesday or Wednesday. WMTW spoke with
January 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, D.C. Are First to Launch Groundbreaking Program to Cut Transportation Pollution, Invest in Communities
(Transportation and Climate Initiative of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States) TCI-P will invest $300 million every year to modernize transportation, improve public health and combat climate change -- The governors of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and the mayor of the
December 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Fiberight Buyer Eyes Reopening
by Anne Berleant (Ellsworth American) Among the discussion topics for members of the Municipal Review Committee (MRC) board of directors at a meeting on Nov. 29 were a draft of the group’s 2021 budget and news of a prospective buyer of
December 03, 2020 Read Full Article
200 Organizations Urge Northeast, Mid-Atlantic Governors to Move on “Ambitious and Equitable” Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI)
(Insider NJ) Groups Push For “Strong Safeguards and Guarantees for Overburdened and Underserved Communities” in 12 TCI States & DC; Need for State Leadership Seen As U.S. Formally Abandons Paris Climate Agreement. -- The largest and most diverse collection ever of
November 12, 2020 Read Full Article
7 Big Deals, and Why They’re Big -- Microsoft, Cargill, ADM, Aemetis, Lygos, Alaska Airlines, SkyNRG, Biofine, and Ways2H
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) There's been a barrage of big deals this week and here's The Digest's exclusive take on the biggest 7 deals, why they are big, and more. In today's Digest, we've got the latest deal details that
October 29, 2020 Read Full Article
The Future Belongs to Maine: Opportunities in the Bioeconomy --- November 13, 2020 --- ONLINE
Please join us on Friday, November 13, 2020, on Zoom, for "The Future Belongs to Maine: Opportunities in the Bioeconomy"—our not-to-be-missed investor webinar on Maine's growing bioeconomy. Friday, November 13, 2020 9 to 11 am EST Via Zoom -- Link to be provided This webinar
October 13, 2020 Read Full Article
RNG’s Growing Role in Decarbonization Strategies
by Sam Lehr, David Cox and Mike Alaimo (RNG Coalition/Biomass Magazine) Renewable natural gas (RNG) has become an increasingly important part America's push toward clean energy sources and technology. -- ... Renewable natural gas (RNG) has become an increasingly important part
August 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Building a Biobased Economy: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to BIO in a Post-COVID-19 World
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital in July, Stephanie Batchelor, Vice President of the Industrial & Environmental Section at Biotechnology Innovation Organization shared this illuminating slide guide on how BIO is advocating for a resilient future, promoting LCFS
August 07, 2020 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: Forum Insights: Looking at Key Sectors of the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic's Economy - Ag, Construction, Goods Movement and More --- August 4, 2020
This session is designed for anyone interested in learning more about trucks, construction and farm equipment use in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,
July 21, 2020 Read Full Article
CARB Adopts Rule Requiring State Transition from Diesel Trucks
by Michael Bates (NGT News) The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has adopted a first-in-the-world rule – the Advanced Clean Truck regulation – that requires truck manufacturers to transition from diesel trucks and vans to electric zero-emission trucks beginning in 2024. By 2045,
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Fiberight Plant Is Shut Down; Trash Sent to Landfill
by Kate Cough (Ellsworth American) Coastal Resources of Maine, the $70-million waste and recycling facility in Hampden, shut down in late May after an expected $14.7 million in funding fell through. The closure forced the 115 member towns that send their
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Researchers Model Spatial and Temporal Consequences of Increased Woody Biomass Use on the Global Forest Ecosystem
(University of Maine) Incentivizing both sequestration and avoidance of emissions— using a carbon rental or carbon tax and subsidy approach — versus only a carbon tax encourages protection of natural forests by valuing the standing stock, according to a new study
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
The Algae Foundation — Looking Back and Moving Forward
by Ike Levine, Tiffany Cannis and Marissa Nalley (Algae Industry Magazine) In these turbulent times, when many educational programs are in limbo, we wondered what is happening to algae education? For a perspective, we asked leaders of the Algae Foundation
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Maine Takes Significant Step in Addressing Climate Challenge Through Renewable Chemicals Tax Credit
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) Maine is speeding up its transformation to a 21st-century, biobased economy with the passing of the Renewable Chemicals Tax Credit, which will foster the production of environmentally friendly innovations—like renewable chemicals and biobased products. “In order to address
March 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Newly Branded Vehicles Highlight of Biodiesel Day
(National Biodiesel Board) 2020 marketing program kicks off "Biodiesel: Better. Cleaner. Now!" -- The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) today launched its 2020 vehicle branding program designed to showcase biodiesel’s sustainability and emissions reduction benefits. The program kicks-off on National Biodiesel
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Congresswoman Pingree Introduces the Agriculture Resilience Act to Promote Farmer-Driven Climate Solutions Legislation Sets Goal of Reaching Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions in U.S. Agriculture by 2040
(Office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)) Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA), comprehensive legislation that sets a bold vision of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by the year 2040. “Farming has always been a
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
We Need Better Transportation Options, Not More Roads and More Lanes
by Parris N. Glendening (Washington Post/Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute) When President Trump attempted to eliminate California’s more stringent fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks, local elected officials cried foul — and not just in California.
February 27, 2020 Read Full Article
The Future Belongs to Maine: Opportunities in the Bioeconomy --- POSTPONED to November 13, 2020 --- Portland, ME
"The Future Belongs to Maine: Opportunities in the Bioeconomy"—our not-to-be-missed investor summit in Portland, Maine, on the state of Maine's growing bioeconomy. WHAT: This full-day conference will provide an open forum to discuss the bioeconomy in Maine today as well as its future
February 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) Requests Public Comment on Cap and Invest Program
The states participating in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) have released a Draft Memorandum of Understanding to establish a regional cap and invest program to transition to a more sustainable, resilient, low carbon transportation sector. Also released were initial
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
World’s 1st Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Powered Yacht, Hemp Airplane, Rock Snot to Biomaterials, Sisal-Based Thermal Insulation, and More: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of January 3rd
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The bioeconomy is kickstarting 2020 with a flurry of innovations, like a millennial entrepreneur who developed a method to convert invasive toxic algae commonly called “rock snot” into various materials including paper, fabric and bioplastic. Another
January 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Cap-and-Invest Modeling Lacks Consideration of Renewable Fuel Adoption and Infrastructure
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Modeling by Georgetown Climate Center's Transportation and Climate Initiative of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States released Tuesday showed potential for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, pollution reduction, job creation and public health benefits. The anticipated
December 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Regional Proposal for Clean Transportation Reaches Milestone States and D.C. Invite Feedback on Draft MOU, Share Estimates of Potential Benefits for Health, Environment, Economy DEADLINE February 28, 2020
(Transportation and Climate Initiative/Georgetown Climate Center) The bipartisan group of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic jurisdictions that make up the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) today invited public input on a new draft proposal for a regional program to establish a cap
December 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Rainforest Energy to Produce Bio-Gasoline from Biomass Using Infinity Technology
(Biofuels International) Rainforest Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Infinity Biofuels for the licensing of patented technology to produce bio-gasoline from biomass across the Americas. The MoU is for a technology framework for North America, South America and
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Maine Eyed for Project that Converts Electricity to Storable Gas
by Tux Turkel (Press Herald) Wind and other renewables produce excess power that could be used in the state’s natural gas pipeline system. -- ... The transmission lines connecting Maine’s far-flung renewable generators to the regional electric grid sometimes are too
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Fiberight Waste Facility Opens Doors after Delays, Serving Central Maine Region
by Meg Robbins (Morning Sentinel) After more than a year of delays, the Hampden-based trash-to-fuel plant is processing trash from 115 Maine communities, and hopes to see that number climb. -- The long anticipated trash-to-fuel facility in Hampden met its contract
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
The Race Is on to Repurpose Garbage
by Marc S. Reisch (Chemical & Engineering News) Despite a spotty track record, companies keep trying to convert trash into energy, fuels, and chemicals -- ... Local press reports noted weather-related construction delays, a challenge to the plant’s environmental permits,
October 31, 2019 Read Full Article
A Gas Tax to End All Gas Taxes
by Eric Wolff (Politico's Morning Energy) A bipartisan group of a dozen northeastern and Mid-Atlantic governors are considering a plan to impose a gas tax to fund investment into mass transit, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and other infrastructure improvements in
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
‘Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel’ Program Selects Two New Leaders
(Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel (NGSB)) Hop onto a red CyRide bus in Ames, Iowa, and there’s a pretty good chance it’s fueled by a biodiesel blend. That’s thanks in part to the work of Sam Kramer, a chemical engineering and economics
October 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Northeast States Draft Regional Policy Proposal to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Pollution from Transportation Lacks Renewable Fuel Emphasis DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: November 5, 2019
by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) "Nothing has been decided yet about the treatment of biofuels" or renewable fuels in the proposed program to cap transportation emissions in 13 Northeastern US jurisdictions, according to the chair of the Transportation and Climate
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
TCI Jurisdictions Share Updates on Policy Design Process
(Transportation and Climate Initiative/Georgetown Climate Center) Jurisdictions participating in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) have made available a framework for a draft regional policy proposal to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from transportation, and are encouraging interested individuals and organizations to provide
October 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Heating Oil Industry Commits to Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
(New England Fuel Institute /Biodiesel Magazine) The Northeast’s heating oil industry has resolved to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050. This ambitious goal was set at the Northeast Industry Summit held during the 2019 Heating & Energizing America Trade
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Get with the Program: Biogas Producers Struggling to Generate Revenue from Their Digestate
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) Biogas producers struggling to generate revenue from their digestate may find an opportunity to turn this around through the American Biogas Council’s Digestate Standard Testing and Certification Program. -- ... Exeter Agri-Energy was formed to
September 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Finland Makes Batteries from Trees. Can Maine?
(Biobased Maine) ... Stora Enso just announced an investment of $11.2 million to build a pilot facility to produce lignin-based battery materials at their Sunila Mill in Finland. The facility, anticipated for completion in early 2021, will process lignin (one of the
August 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Available for Viewing: Public Workshop: Low-Carbon Transportation Investments, Strategies, and Outcomes
(Transportation and Climate Initiative/Georgetown Climate Center) On Tuesday, July 30, more than 300 community members, transportation, environmental and social justice advocates, business and industry representatives, and state and local officials participated in the Transportation & Climate Initiative workshop on Low-Carbon Transportation
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Maine Utility Announces RNG Initiative
(Summit Utilities Inc./Biomass Magazine) Summit Utilities Inc., the parent company of Summit Natural Gas of Maine Inc., announced May 23 a new renewable natural gas (RNG) program aimed at supporting the local economy and fighting climate change. The program outlines three
June 06, 2019 Read Full Article
The Energy 202: Green New Deal Is Alive and Well in Liberal Cities and States
by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) The Green New Deal may be floundering in Washington. But it is alive and well in left-leaning states and cities across the country. From Maine to California, Democratic politicians have begun adopt the Green New Deal brand -- a
June 03, 2019 Read Full Article
After Yearlong Delay, New Fiberight Waste-to-Energy Plant Fires up Residential Garbage Processor
by Meg Robbins (Morning Sentinel/PressHerald) The plant started taking in waste last week even as key officials from the group representing towns' interests in the facility have stepped down. -- The Fiberight waste-processing facility in Hampden accepted its first loads of municipal
May 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Cleaner Transportation Fuel, Healthier Forests
(Office of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)) Legislation allows the use of biomass waste from certain federal lands in the making of renewable fuels -- U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced bipartisan legislation to allow the use of biomass from
May 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Discuss Bill to Encourage Investment in Bio-Based Manufacturing
by Paul Dwyer (WABI TV) Lawmakers discussed a bill Wednesday aimed at encouraging investment in bio-biased manufacturing to create jobs, bring more business into Maine, and help fight climate change. The bill, sponsored by Assistant House Majority Leader Ryan Fecteau, (D) Biddeford,
May 17, 2019 Read Full Article
State Leadership Fuels Carbon Reduction, Clean Energy Booms
(Solutions from the Land) ... The swelling momentum of state leadership pushing forward climate issues and solutions, as well as growing engagement with the challenges of climate change on Capitol Hill, shows there is a surging opportunity for stakeholders from the
May 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Maine Company Turns Local Restaurant Waste into Biofuel
by Clay Gordon (News Center Maine) Maine Standard Biofuels collects grease and refines it into bioheat, biodiesel and other bioproducts -- ... Used cooking oil is being repurposed, and in its refined state is powering engines, cars, trucks, even ferries, and heating
May 10, 2019 Read Full Article
After Yearlong Delay, New Fiberight Waste-to-Energy Plant Fires up Residential Garbage Processor
by Meg Robbins (Morning Sentinel) The plant started taking in waste last week even as key officials from the group representing towns' interests in the facility have stepped down. -- The Fiberight waste-processing facility in Hampden accepted its first loads of municipal
May 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Janet Mills’ First Veto Aims to Stop a Republican’s Effort to Limit Ethanol in Gasoline
by Michael Shepherd (Bangor Daily News) Gov. Janet Mills issued her first veto on Thursday, rejecting a bill that passed the Maine Legislature without roll-call votes and would ban the sale of gasoline containing more than 10 percent ethanol that likely
May 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Momentum Builds for Green New Deal Plans as Maine's Bill Gets a Powerful Endorsement
by Brian Kahn (Earther) Maine’s AFL-CIO, which represents more than 40,000 members, just threw its weight behind a version of the Green New Deal introduced to the state’s legislature last month. That makes Maine’s bill the first piece of Green New Deal legislation
April 17, 2019 Read Full Article
A Maine Biofuel Pioneer Takes Its Green Act to New York City
(PR Web/Maine Standard Biofuels) Maine Standard Biofuels is headed to the big city. On April 16, the Portland-based biofuels pioneer will be in New York City to showcase its new green cleaning products—as well as its cutting-edge biofuel-conversion process—at an event
April 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Commercialization: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Cellulosic Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Douglas B. Rivers, PhD,from Sunflwr Consulting and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview and more READ MORE
February 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Jet Fuel from Woody Biomass
by Marina Bowie (Biobased Maine) According to the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (1990-2016), the transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to U.S anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, at 28%. Of the 28%, aircraft transportation contributes 9% of
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Biomass Biocrude: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn produces a biocrude from forest and agricultural residues using its proprietary thermal technology. Dr. Robert G. Graham, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ensyn gave this illuminating overview of their growth in RFO, advancement in refinery co-processing, and
January 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Enemy Submarine Detecting Microorganisms, Algae-Based Polymers, Edible Antimicrobial Film, Limestone-Based Bags, Soybean Oil Based Road Sealant: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the Week of December 26th
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The pace of bioeconomy invention and change continues at a frenetic pace. Here are the top innovations for the week of December 26th. In today’s Digest, enemy submarine detecting microorganisms, algae-based polymers, edible antimicrobial film, limestone-based bags,
December 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Maine Technology Institute (MTI) Issues Request for Proposals for Emerging Technology Challenge for Maine’s Forest Resources DEADLINE: January 25, 2019
(Maine Technology Institute) MTI will award up to $1.5 million in grants to challenge winners, for one or more projects. -- The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) has announced a request for responses to the Emerging Technology Challenge for Maine’s Forest Resources. The
December 24, 2018 Read Full Article
Biodiesel-Powered Vehicles "Wrapped" Just in Time for Christmas
(National Biodiesel Board) In keeping with the spirit of the season, five biodiesel users have unveiled new vehicle “wraps” that are helping to share their stories of sustainability and emissions reductions with area residents from Maine to the Midwest. “Our annual biodiesel
December 19, 2018 Read Full Article
Nine States and D.C. to Design Regional Approach to Cap Greenhouse Gas Pollution from Transportation
(Transportation and Climate Initiative/Georgetown University Climate Center) A coalition of nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia today announced their intent to design a new regional low-carbon transportation policy proposal that would cap and reduce carbon emissions from
December 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Fiberight Now Expects Hampden Waste Plant to Start up in April, a Year after Scheduled Start
by Charles Eichacker (Bangor Daily News) The company developing a state-of-the-art waste processing facility in Hampden says the project will probably be completed by the end of March — nearly a full year after the facility was supposed to begin receiving
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Maine Firm Tests Biofuel-Fed Rocket Engines at a Former Navy Base
by Beth Brogan (Bangor Daily News) ... Eventually, that rocket, powered by a proprietary bio-derived, carbon neutral rocket fuel formulation, will leave Earth, carrying small satellites — “cube sats” — into space. Eventually, the rocket would be able to carry 50
November 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Pyromaniax Unbound
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Why the attention? Some of it in the most recent data and news regarding commercial status. TCat-8 has operated for over 2,000 hours with continuous catalyst circulation including a fluid bed reactor, catalyst stripper, catalyst regenerator, quench tower,
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Researchers to Develop Renewable Fuel Additives from Sawdust
by Edwin L. Aguirre (University of Massachusetts Lowell) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a three-year, $1 million grant to a team of researchers from UMass Lowell, the University of Maine and Florida-based Mainstream Engineering Corp. to develop renewable fuel additives
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Election 2018: Clean Energy’s Future Could Rise or Fall with 36 Governors' Races
by Marianne Lavelle and Dan Gearino (Inside Climate News) Governors have the power to set the agenda on renewable energy or throw up roadblocks to its progress. It's become an issue in several races this year. -- Some of the most consequential elections
September 28, 2018 Read Full Article
5 Minutes With… Dhivya Puri, Senior Technical Lead at Fiberight.
by Dave Songer (Bio-Based World News) “The milestones and professional growth I've achieved in this role are above and beyond what I could have accomplished in academia within the same time frame.” Fiberight is a UK- and US-based small and medium-sized enterprise
July 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Maine Developments – Bio News Mounts from the Pine Tree State
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... First, let’s start with the latest from the Maine Technology Institute, which just announced a request for information regarding emerging forest industry technologies, with the goal of accelerating matchmaking to connect the most viable,
June 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Request for Information: Forest Industry Technologies DEADLINE: July 20, 2018
(Biobased Maine/Maine Technology Institute) The Maine Technology Institute is collecting publicly available information on technologies that could be deployed within Maine’s forest industry. The purpose of this RFI is to encourage technology companies to submit preliminary information on their technology and
June 14, 2018 Read Full Article
The Carbon Rescuers: 20 Top Waste Projects and Breakthroughs that Capture Used Carbon from the Waste Pile for New Uses
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for
June 05, 2018 Read Full Article
California And 16 Other States Are Suing Trump To Stop Him Destroying Emissions Standards
by Raphael Orlove (Jalopnik) Our emissions standards are probably the biggest booster to automotive performance in the past half century, making our cars not only more eco-friendly but more powerful, too. Trump has been trying to cut it all down, but now California
May 01, 2018 Read Full Article
MRC Will Work with Towns That Won't Landfill Waste Amid Biofuel Plant Delays
by A.J. Higgins (Maine Public) Members of the Municipal Review Committee (MRC) said Wednesday that it will work with communities that are uncomfortable with an interim plan to temporarily send their municipal solid waste to a landfill until the new Hampden
April 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Cars Threaten Climate Goals in Blue States
by Benjamin Storrow (E&E News) ... Transportation emissions threaten to undercut blue states' climate goals, raising questions about their ability to lead U.S. climate efforts at a time when the federal government is rolling back environmental regulations. Emissions from cars, trucks
April 18, 2018 Read Full Article
Advanced to Go: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Ensyn
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Ensyn uses its patented and proprietary RTP fast thermal technology to convert wood residues and other non-food, cellulosic biomass to liquid biofuels. Ensyn has had continuous commercial operations for more than 25 years. Its technology has
April 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Duluth Steam Plant to Burn Biofuel
by Peter Passi (Duluth News Tribune) Duluth's steam plant will be swapping out coal and natural gas for biofuel in the near future. Earlier this week, the Duluth City Council authorized Duluth Energy Systems to enter into a five-year agreement with
April 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Case Study: 1MW to 3MW Anaerobic Digester Upgrade in Only 6 Months!
by John D. Forcier (Forcier Consulting Engineers/Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... Besides increasing the electrical output from 1MW to 3MW, we increased the thermal output from 3.7MM btu/hr. to 10MM btu/hr. of hot water for process heat and heating of several nearby
February 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Cash out of Trash: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Fiberight
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Fiberight is a privately held company founded in 2007 with current operations in Virginia, Maryland and Iowa. The company focuses on transforming post-recycled municipal solid wastes and other organic feedstocks into next generation renewable biofuels, with
January 12, 2018 Read Full Article
High-Tech Waste-to-Energy Facility Set to Open in May
by Alex Acquisto (Bangor Daily News) The company behind a state-of-the-art solid waste disposal facility in Hampden designed to convert trash into biofuel has secured enough funding to begin operations in May. Craig Stuart-Paul, CEO of Maryland-based Fiberight LLC, announced this week that his company
January 08, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Department of Energy Awards University of New England $1,321,039 to Develop New Technologies for Seaweed Production
(University of New England) The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the University of New England was awarded a three-year, nationally competitive research grant for $1,321,039 from DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). DOE awardees are part of
October 18, 2017 Read Full Article
Top 10 Wood Waste Projects – Not Letting Waste Go to Waste
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, the chopping continues and there are literally tons of wood waste left behind that doesn’t get used up, but we can all agree we
October 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Yelp! 18 Kelp Wheps Get $22M in ARPA-E Help
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Yes, ARPA-E has unveiled its latest moonshot and is investing $22M in Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources — also known as MARINER. The projects that comprise ARPA-E’s Macroalgae Research Inspiring Novel Energy Resources (MARINER) program
September 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Bounding Maine: Top 10 Companies Targeting Maine’s Forest Resource for Higher-Value Apps
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... But pulp and paper markets have taken big hits. Headlines have centered around damaged balance sheets that make it difficult to modernize or expand, mothballed plants, bankruptcies, job losses that have struck hard at northern
September 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Hampden Trash-to-Energy Plant on Track to Open April 1 of Next Year
by Dawn Gagnon (Bangor Daily News) If all goes to plan, a $69 million waste-to-energy plant planned for Hampden will be up and running by April 1, 2018, according to the partnership that is building it. Sargent Corp. began earth work at
July 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Responding to Trump: The New Economies of Pittsburgh…and Paris and Paris and Paris
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Where Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto joined the mayors of more than 175 cities in a rebel yell that has been heard nationwide since President Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords last Thursday. Peduto said:
June 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Old Town Mill Eyed for Full-Scale Plant to Turn Wood Pulp into Ingredient for Diesel, Jet Fuel
by Tux Turkel (Portland Press Herald) 'The biggest obstacle now is financing,' says Stephen Fitzpatrick, president of Biofine Technology LLC, which is partnering with UMaine on a pilot plant at the site. -- The former Old Town Fuel and Fiber
May 04, 2017 Read Full Article
Unstash That Trash: Material(s) Progress in Making Fuels, Chemicals from Municipal Solid Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) News this week arrived from Canada that Enerkem has received the lowest carbon intensity value ever issued by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines for its ethanol product under the Renewable and Low
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Addressing Biomass Energy 'Alternative Facts'
by William Strauss (FutureMetrics/Biomass Magazine) ... The recently released paper by the Chatham House is a study that contains many inaccurate statements about the use of wood for energy. Those statements are presented as facts, or as uncontested conclusions. This article
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Court Upholds State Environmental Permits for Controversial Fiberight Waste Plant
by Madeline St. Amour (CentralMaine.com) The decision by a Superior Court justice marks the end of the Fiberight project's last legal battle and one of its major hurdles. -- A Maine Superior Court justice on Wednesday affirmed state environmental permits
March 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Waste-Stream, Slip-Stream, Main-Stream: The Born Global Slip-Stream Challenge Gets Underway
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) There are six oddly-named streams in the bioeconomy, and it reminds one of the nomenclature of subatomic quarks. There is upstream, midstream, downstream, main-stream, waste-stream, and slip-stream. But of all the streams, perhaps there is
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Lawsuit Limits Demolition at Former Great Northern Mill Site
by Darren Fishell and Nick Sambides Jr. (Bangor Daily News) Investors seeking to build a biofuel refinery that they say would employ more than 100 people at the former Great Northern Paper Co. mill site were granted a temporary restraining order
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Could Biofuel Save Maine’s Timber Industry?
by Darren Fishell (Bangor Daily News) The company EMEP LLC wants to buy the shuttered East Millinocket paper mill to build a biorefinery that it said would be a centerpiece of a larger $240 million plan for biomass energy parks
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
11 Companies Advance in Maine’s Born Global Challenge
At ABLC 2017, Maine’s Born Global Challenge named Core Biofuels, DMC, CRI, D4 Energy Group, Concord Blue, Ark Power Dynamics, NuFuels, Visolis, Phytonix, Renmatix and Sweetwater Energy as the first set of prequalified companies — a second round of companies will be
March 06, 2017 Read Full Article
Canadian Company Envisions Maine as Site for Biorefinery
by Tex Turkel (Portland Press Herald) Ensyn Corp., which makes heating oil from wood waste, already supplies Bates College and needs more customers before it can build a plant here. -- A Canadian company that turns leftover wood from forestry
February 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Hero BX Offers Branded Bioheat Distributor Program
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Erie, Pennsylvania-based biodiesel producer Hero BX announced a new business enterprise Jan. 12, the Hero BX-branded Bioheat program. Bioheat is a blend of biodiesel and heating oil in varying concentrations. Hero BX’s new program offers
January 16, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Expert Promotes Algal Farming in India
(Algae Industry Magazine) Marine algae have the power to simultaneously fuel vehicles, recycle carbon dioxide, and provide nutrition to animals and humans,” said Ira A. Levine, a tenured Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences at the University of Southern Maine
January 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Fantastic 5: US States Getting It Done, Making Biobased Happen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... the most innovative public-private policies are likely for some time to proceed out of regions, provinces and states. In some ways, in the United States the forces arrayed against the Renewable Fuel Standard will end up