by John Cropley  (Daily Gazette)  More than $20 million is sought  —  Fage has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $20 million from a company that agreed to buy waste whey from its massive yogurt …

(Pennsylvania State University/Phys.Org)  With more than two dozen companies in Pennsylvania manufacturing potato chips, it is no wonder that researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have developed a novel approach to more efficiently …

(Bioenergy Insight) New research claims that air pollution policy reduces the extent to which population growth in urban areas results in increased pollution emissions, without disrupting the economic growth resulting from this urbanisation.
More than half of …

by Nick Malawskey (PennLive.com)  Noticed the new pumps at some Sheetz stores in Pennsylvania? The Altoona-based convenience store and gas station chain has started offering Unleaded-15 alongside Flex-Fuel at new stores and a number of its older …

by Eric Wolff (Politico)  The Trump administration plans to reject a proposal that would let oil refiners off the hook for complying with the federal ethanol mandate, a senior administration official told POLITICO, dashing the …

(Penn State News)  Slowed as much by extremely low oil prices as supply-chain and technological challenges, the effort to integrate biofuels into the nation’s aviation fuel supply is nonetheless progressing, according to a researcher in …

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 …

by Amy Duke (Pennsylvania State University) Strip mines are so common in rural Pennsylvania that many people are unfazed by the sight of rock-filled piles of dirt and tracts of barren land.
Marvin Hall, a researcher in Penn …

(Univeristy of Pittsburg/R&D Magazine)  Numerous studies have raised critical concerns about the promise of corn ethanol’s ability to mitigate climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Some of the studies have suggested that after …

(U.S. Department of Justice)  A Pennsylvania biofuel producer and two of its officers have been indicted on conspiracy and false statements charges for participating in a scheme that generated over $10 million in U.S. Environmental …

(Optimus Technologies/Biodiesel Magazine)  The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection presented Pittsburgh-based Optimus Technologies and 20 other organizations from across the state with the 2017 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. According to DEP, their projects “represent the …

(Extension.org)  The Northeast region of the United States (from the Ohio River to the New England coast) has the natural, social, and technological resources needed to help create a sustainable, rural renaissance by using biomass …

(Gant News)  Pennsylvania Grain Processing Corn Merchandiser, Brian Kelly, was a little doubtful four years ago when he first approached Sheetz Inc. about selling new blends of ethanol at its fuel station near Interstate 80 …

by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine)  U.S. imports of biomass-based diesel hit extreme heights in 2016, fulfilling a third of the consumption market, driving the domestic biodiesel industry to more actively seek counteracting measures to protect …

(Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture)  Projects Mark Return of Hemp to PA following Gov. Wolf’s Signing of Act 92  —  After decades of being gone from the landscape of Pennsylvania, a promising and versatile crop with …

(AllAfrica)  The African Climate Technology Center (ACTC) has the mission of supporting Sub-Saharan countries in scaling-up the adoption of clean technologies for adaptation and mitigation, through activities that include knowledge creation and dissemination, support to …

(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine)  … (Rudolf) Diesel, who invented the engine that bears his name, ran early models on peanut oil, and was an ardent believer in vegetable oil-based fuel. That’s why the biodiesel industry …

(NEWBio)  The NEWBio graduate distance education program provides scholarship support to students wanting to enroll for one of the following online courses from Penn State World Campus:

Bioenergy
Bioenergy Feedstocks
Bioenergy Harvest and Logistics
Conversion Technologies for Bioenergy Production

Scholarships …

(MoveEnergy)  Penn State Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Yuan Xuan and researchers at Yale University will work together to identify clean-burning biofuels for next-generation internal combustion engines under to a $1.2 million award from the …

by Rudy Miller (Lehigh Valley Live)  The attorney for a man charged with participating in a $50 million biofuel scam says the charges should be dismissed because his client got bad legal advice.
David Dunham, of Bethlehem, allegedly …

by Jeff Mulhollem  (Penn State News)  Africa and agroforestry — defined as agriculture that incorporates the cultivation and conservation of trees — are in Penn State professor Michael Jacobson’s blood, and the combination has helped shape …

By Matt McGrath (BBC)  Up to 16% of hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells spill liquids every year, according to new research from US scientists. They found that there had been 6,600 releases from these fracked …

by Steffen Mueller (University of Illinois at Chicago/Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Strategically located ethanol sources cannot be economically replaced.  —  Carbon dioxide sourced from corn-ethanol plants is not a waste-recovery product but a coproduct that, in …

(NewBIO) Something new happened in the bioenergy willow world this week in Pennsylvania.  A new type of willow energy crop harvester got its first run on a willow crop in Pennsylvania.  The machine, a 2 row …

by Tim Meko and Laris Karklis (The Washington Post)  There are more than 900,000 active oil and gas wells in the United States, and more than 130,000 have been drilled since 2010, according to Drillinginfo, a …

by Chad Umble (LancasterOnline)  … Two gasoline-ethanol blends, Unleaded15 and E85, are now available at four of the 13 county locations of convenience store chain Sheetz. … Altoona-based Sheetz says it wants to give customers more options …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Highlighting Advanced Biofuels USA’s work on a feasibility study of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore energy beet project proved to attract many visitors and a bit of buzz …

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. …

by Bob Dinneen (The Hill/Renewable Fuels Association)  In the flurry of post-election punditry and analysis, much credit was given to disenfranchised factory workers and coal miners in the Rust Belt and Appalachia for delivering Donald …

(U.S. Department of Energy)  Today, the Energy Department (DOE) announced up to $7 million for eight universities to accelerate the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable high-performance fuels for use in high-efficiency, low-emission engines. Under the Co-Optimization …

by Lenay Ruhl (Central Penn Business Journal)  …  State regulators announced last week an industrial hemp program that will allow for cultivating and researching hemp in efforts overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Applications to …

by Aswin Mannepalli (Philadelphia Inquirer)  The King of Prussia company takes biowaste and converts it into useful materials such as bioplastics. So far, it counts Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates as a backer. He led a $14 …

(FuelCellsWorks) … New Flyer’s innovative XE60 battery-electric bus, and its sister XHE60 hydrogen fuel cell bus, are both powered by Siemens electric motors with rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology manufactured in Michigan.
…
New Flyer’s XHE60 model is a …

by Andres R. Aquino (The Intelligencer)  …  In order to reach the required octane grades of 87, 89 and 93, gasoline is blended with octane boosters. Traditionally, these octane boosters have been the hazardous BTEX …

by Ari Natter and James Rowley  (Bloomberg)   …  Fifty rigs need to be drilling for natural gas in America’s most prolific shale region to keep production of the fuel from falling — and by one …

by Timothy P. Carney (Washington Examiner)  Katie McGinty, the Democrats’ nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, cashed out of state government and into the subsidized renewable-energy companies whose agenda she had pushed when in office. That …

by Anthony Adragna (Politico’s Morning Energy)  Rep. Bob Brady is going to press for changes in the Renewable Fuel Standard compliance mechanism that the refineries in his district say costs them millions — and he may …

(Ag Annex)  Ag-Grid Energy LLC, based in Kennett Square, PA, working with RCM Digesters, located in Berkeley, CA, has selected the Anaerobic Digestion Lab Test Network (ADLTN) to perform a set of four lab tests …

by Jeff Corcino (The Progress)  …  Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Continental Carbonic Products Inc., a producer and distributor of solid and liquid carbon dioxide and dry-ice blasting machines, is establishing a manufacturing …

by  Gary C. Young (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Bio-Thermal Energy Inc.)  A new process for the economical conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels such as ethanol has been developed. The proprietary noncatalytic process combines CO2 with a …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)   jetBlue has announced a 10-year, 330 million gallon renewable jet fuel purchase agreement with SG Preston. This marks one of the largest renewable jet fuel purchase agreements in aviation history, …

(JetBlue)  Preparing for a Lower Carbon Future, Airline Partners with SG Preston to Purchase Renewable Jet Fuel;  JetBlue Expects To Take First Delivery of Renewable Jet Fuel In 2019 With A 10-Year Purchase Agreement and …

by Marc Levy (Associated Press/The Morning Call)  Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey and his Democratic challenger Katie McGinty tangled Monday over the use of corn ethanol in motor fuel and post-recession bank regulations as they …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Renmatix is a technology licensor that enables the production of petrochemicals from plants. The company’s water-based Plantrose process is the lowest cost method for converting a wide range of non-food …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Pennsylvania, Bill Gates is leading the latest investment round into the pioneering cellulosic sugars producer Renmatix as energy giant Total joins in with second investment and a 1 million …

by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* and Joanne Ivancic** (Advanced Biofuels USA) After Dan Quadros’ oft-repeated criticism about biofuels education and the big gap between research and the job market, he was pleased to experience the best …

(West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund)  A collaboration between Sustainable Energy Fund and West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund created Energy Sprout, a competition with the goal of developing new technology and business models that lead to improved …

by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters/Yahoo! Finance)  …  The alternative is for merchant refiners to increase their ability to blend ethanol. PBF Energy is the latest refiner to take this approach.
PBF has asked Delaware regulators …

by Barbara J Powell (Bloomberg)   …  RINS aren’t the real problem for the Philadelphia refinery, Robert Campbell, head of oil products research for London-based Energy Aspects, said in a telephone interview today.
“East Coast refiners are …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  NIFA ‘s Bioeconomy-Bioenergy-Bioproduct portfolio facilitates the development of sustainable regional production systems for biofuels and bio-based products through research, product development and demonstration, extension, and education.
By creating non-carbon based fuels, power …

by Kathie Obradovich (Des Moines Register)  It’s hard to beat this as a summer job for a Des Moines teenager: Two weeks at the Republican and Democratic national conventions as part of an Iowa team promoting ethanol.
Otto …

by  Sara LaJeunesse (Penn State News)  On July 20, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law allowing the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and institutions of higher education to grow hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) for research purposes. …

by Susanna Retka-Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Sheetz, Thortons executives give careful thought to strategically offering the new fuel. —  Almost weekly, another announcement is made about a retail location offering E15. The rollouts, large and …

(WSYR-TV)  Plant is exclusive supplier of ethanol for NASCAR’s Green E-15  —  The racing series has a number of Central New York connections helping make it run smoothly, but one local business is literally powering …

by Philip Gruber (Lancaster Farming)  USDA researchers demonstrated a mobile biofuel processing unit on a Montgomery County farm last week, moving the technology a step closer to commercial reality.
“The idea is to go to the …

by Jasen Lee (KSL.com)  Scientists believe that organically produced bio-fuels could be one of the answers to the environmental challenge posed by greenhouse gases emitted around the globe by the commercial aviation industry.
A panel of …

by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com)  Students of all ages were able to voice their ideas on America’s energy future in AMERIgreen Energy’s Video Essay Challenge. Students ranging in grades 1st-12th, as well as undergraduate college students …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Through The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk and other environmental problems into …

(Amerigreen Energy/Biodiesel Magazine)  Amerigreen Energy, in conjunction with Clean Cities of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, hosted “The Fleet Footprint Event: Emissions Requirements and the New Energy Landscape,” in Morristown, New Jersey, this spring. The event presented an honest …

by Charlotte Hsu (University at Buffalo/Biomass Magazine)  Researchers from four U.S. universities are teaming up with dairy farms across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to study the effect of three different manure management techniques on preventing …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture)  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that incentives resume this month for farmers and foresters who grow and harvest biomass for renewable energy …

by John M. Urbanchuk  (The Intelligencer)  I am writing in response to Andrew Mikula’s May 13 letter (“With oil now plentiful, why the need for ethanol in gasoline?“). Several points come to mind.
Ethanol has several characteristics …

by  Rosalie Marion Bliss (US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service)  …  Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have advanced a process to produce crude liquid fuel called “bio-oil” from agricultural waste. The bio-oil is …

by Jessica Rose Spangler (Lancaster Farming)  Ethanol isn’t a new concept. Using corn to make it isn’t either. And Pennsylvania even has a plant to create it, Pennsylvania Grain Processing LLC in Clearfield, which is capable …

(NewBIO/Cooperative Extension System)  Technology patented by Renmatix enables the manufacture of industrial sugars from biomass on a scale that is commercially cost-effective.
Table of Contents

Introduction
From Biomass to Sugars
Benefits of Supercritical Water
Customers Rebuild Biorefiners based on Plantrose™ …

By Michael McCoy (Chemical and Engineering News)  Seeing more growth ahead, two small companies invest in new plants —  Growth in the biodiesel market is spurring two small companies to invest in U.S. production of …

by Keith Norman (Jamestown Sun) Plans for a $150 million cellulosic ethanol plant at the Spiritwood Energy Park Association industrial park are underway, according to Thomas Corle, founding partner of New Energy Investors, a Pennsylvania …

by  Alan Neuhauser (US News and World Report)  America’s fracking boom promised big paychecks, but thousands of workers were exploited, the Labor Department says. —  … Despite booming industry profits and record oil and gas output …

by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest)  … Congress changed mandatory funding for two key bioenergy programs – despite their tangible successes – through its Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Omnibus spending bill. USDA’s Section 9003 Loan …

by Megan Elliott (Flying Magazine)  First transcontinental flight using aviation biofuel in a certified light aircraft. — High-school science teacher Ross McCurdy is planning the first transcontinental flight using aviation biofuel in a certified light aircraft. …

by Jeff Mulhollem (Penn State)  The first harvest of 34 acres of fast-growing shrub willow from a Penn State demonstration field this winter is a milestone in developing a sustainable biomass supply for renewable energy and …

(Environmental Protection Agency) Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced eight contracts to small businesses to develop innovative technologies to protect the environment, funded through EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.
“The green technologies that …

by Michael Jacobson (NEBioenergy) On a cold crisp day in early January, an historic event took place in Central Pennsylvania. The location was minutes from the Penn State campus. The wait was over. The specialized harvesting equipment …

(NEWBio)  NEWBio is offering a limited number of scholarships for students to take the following online graduate-level bioenergy courses during the summer semester of 2016: ABE884 (Bioenergy Systems) and ABE885 (Bioenergy Harvest and Logistics).  Find …

(Drexel NOW)  A blob of algae scooped from a fountain on South Street almost two years ago, has seeded a crop of the green stuff that Drexel University researchers claim is more effective at treating …

by Rosalie Bliss (US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service)   … U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have advanced a process to produce a crude liquid called “bio-oil” from agricultural waste. The team is headed …

by Eric Wolff (Politico Morning Energy)  The massive methane spill at the Aliso Canyon storage field has pumped out at least 77,500 metric tons of gas since Oct. 23, and it will be months before …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  Several U.S. producers, including Genuine Bio-Fuel, Hero BX and the now-defunct Promethean Biofuels, in addition to Miami-based biodiesel exporter and hopeful technology provider Lagosur, sketch out overviews of international developments.
…
“Taxation, …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  In any industry, a few incredible people make an enormous impact. The algae industry is fortunate to honor Algae Ambassadors that are great scientists and industry leaders. They are also superb educators …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Who mandates what in biofuels? 64 countries have targets or mandates — but how much where, and when, and what?
In Florida, the Digest today releases its annual review of biofuels mandates …

by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine)  The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology recently released results of a research project that investigated the technical feasibility, commercial viability and environmental compliance of the …

by Kurt Bresswein (Lehigh Valley Live)  The owners of a Lehigh Valley company are accused of scamming taxpayers out of about $50 million in payments, subsidies and other benefits paid out for purportedly turning cooking …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington state, King County Superior Court Judge Hollis R. Hill issued a groundbreaking ruling that the “scientific evidence is clear that the current rates of (emissions) reduction mandated by …

by Jarrett Renshaw and Catherine Ngai (Reuters) … North Dakota’s Bakken production peaked at 1.153 million barrels per day in June, and had fallen to 1.13 million barrels per day by August, according to state data.
The …

by Jon Scharingson (Renewable Energy Group, Inc./Convenience Store Decisions)  Whether or not to sell biodiesel can be a significant decision for a convenience store owner. Convenience store owners need to determine what will work best for …

(PR Newswire/IHI E&C)  SG Preston, a Philadelphia-based bioenergy company, and IHI E&C, a Houston-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) subsidiary of IHI Corporation, today announced a ground-breaking agreement for a Multi-Facility Program that will include …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Forty DuPont employees signed a letter sent recently to Sen. Pat Tommey, R-Penn., making it clear they oppose his efforts to modify the renewable fuel standard (RFS) in any …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Washington, an amendment offered by Senator Pat Toomey that would end a key provision of the RFS – the requirement to blend traditional ethanol-based renewable fuels into U.S. gasoline …

by Barry Blitstein (TribLive) Letter to Editor:  Regarding the editorial “The ethanol racket: More perversion” : Calling the ethanol industry a “racket” as if it were a form of organized crime is nothing short of scandalous.
…
Ethanol …

by Robert F. Service (Science Magazine)  Stuart Licht has designed the ultimate recycling machine. The solar reactor that he and colleagues built in his lab at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., takes carbon dioxide (CO2) …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  USDA announces state finalists for the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership. Will it move the needle? The Digest investigates.  In Washington, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 21 states will receive …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that 21 states will receive grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) to add infrastructure needed to supply more renewable fuel to America’s drivers. Since …

(US Department of Agriculture)  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini announced that enrollment begins today for farmers and forest landowners seeking financial assistance for growing new sources of biomass …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic area is fortunate to benefit from funds derived from a settlement approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission during the Commonwealth’s electric deregulation proceedings.  As part …

(Extension.org)  Renewable energy production options are growing thanks to expanded farm equipment capabilities for harvesting biofuel feedstocks like shrub willow. — Harvesting is the single most expensive operation in the production of shrub willow biomass, accounting …

by Douglas R. Kauffman, Jay Thakkar, Rajan Siva, Christopher Matranga, Paul R. Ohodnicki, Chenjie Zeng, and Rongchao Jin (ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces)  The catalytic conversion of CO2 into industrially relevant chemicals is one strategy for …

(New Holland)  Following the United States Department of Energy’s announcement to award State University of New York up to $3.5 million to fund a research project that seeks to develop ways to reduce the cost …

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk and other environmental problems into business opportunities, spurring …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Six projects land major multi-year awards for Project TERRA, Tramsportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture
In Washington, ARPA-E announced awards totaling $30 million for projects seeking to accelerate the development of …

by Cherie Winner (Pennsylvania State University)  By virtue of their chloroplasts, plants are superb harvesters of solar energy. They use it to build leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, and roots. We harvest a small percentage of that …

by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA) I had heard about Pennsylvania State University’s bioenergy and biofuels educational initiatives from Advanced Biofuels USA’s Joanne Ivancic, just after starting to work on a project to …

by Damian Carrington and Harry Davies (The Guardian/MSN.com)   The world’s biggest and most profitable fossil fuel companies are receiving huge and rising subsidies from US taxpayers, a practice slammed as absurd by a presidential candidate given …

by Garth T. Llewellyn, Frank Dorman, J. L. Westland, D. Yoxtheimer, Paul Grieve, Todd Sowers, E. Humston-Fulmer, and Susan L. Brantley  (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)  New techniques of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) are …

by Natasha Khan (PublicSource)   A new report out Tuesday says Pennsylvania provided more than $3.2 billion in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, much of which went to the state’s booming natural gas industry, at …

by Andrew Restuccia  (Politico)  A coalition of environmental, civil rights and progressive groups aims to register a million climate-conscious voters by Election Day.
The goal, shared first with POLITICO, is the latest indication that liberals view …

by Jon Hurdle and Susan Phillips  (StateImpactNPR.org)  Radon levels in buildings near unconventional natural gas development in Pennsylvania are higher than those in other areas of the state, suggesting that hydraulic fracturing has opened up …

(Optimus Technologies)   Outfitting 20 more public works trucks to reduce fuel costs and to reduce lifecycle emissions over 80%.    – Optimus Technologies today announced the City of Pittsburgh has agreed to expand its use …

(Renmatix/Total/PR Newswire)  – Total invests in Renmatix – Takes equity and Board seat in Philadelphia based licensor of supercritical hydrolysis technology for conversion of biomass into economical cellulosic sugar   — Companies complete Joint Development …

How can you grow your own knowledge and skills to inspire your students? What new opportunities are developing for science-based careers in the region? Learn about this and more at the USDA-sponsored Bioenergy and Bioproducts …

Join Penn State Extension at this three day workshop that covers the latest developments and opportunities in farm energy. Topics to be covered include:
Day 1: Smart Energy Buying and Use (energy use monitoring, understanding energy …

by Nat Williams (AgriNews)  The National Corn Growers Association is going into the gas pump business.  The commodity group is working with service station chains and even manufacturers of pumps in order to expand sales of …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  On Feb. 26, Sens. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced the Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015. The bill, which is cosponsored by Sen. Jeff Flake, …

(Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA))  U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) are working to repeal a law that drives up the cost of everything from gasoline to groceries.
The Toomey-Feinstein Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination …

by Darius Dixon (Morning Energy-Politico)  …A trio of climate scientists has pointed to the Pacific Ocean as a major culprit behind the slowing rate of average global temperature increases over the past decade. Climate skeptics …

by Robert Zullo (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)  Pittsburgh is looking to add new fuel systems to 20 trucks in the Department of Public Works that will allow the engines to run on biofuel as well as traditional …

by Chris Fleisher (Trib Total Media)  Last fall, Ed Vescovi planned to restart a dormant biodiesel plant in Beaver County.  The market for biofuel was shaky. But a new owner, Weavertown Environmental, pledged to get …

(NEWBio) Five cooperative projects have been funded that advance NEWBio goals and fill in key knowledge gaps related to bioenergy crop expansion in the Northeast U.S:
Abandoned Ag. Lands in the Northeast U.S.:  A GIS-based Analysis …

(LANXESS)  Specialty chemicals company LANXESS Corporation has added two new highly concentrated antioxidants to its existing range of biodiesel stabilizers. The new products – Baynox Ultra and Baynox Cargo – will be introduced to the …

(Renewable Fuels Association)  Today, Sheetz — a major retail gas station chain in the Mid-Atlantic — announced that 60 of its locations in North Carolina will offer E15 by the spring of 2016. This announcement …

(Environmental and Energy Study Insitute)  On January 16, Sens. Feinstein (D-CA) and Toomey (R-PA) floated an amendment to the Keystone XL pipeline bill, the ‘Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015,’ that would remove corn …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oil prices continue to show incredible volatility. $106 in June, $50 today. Which biofuels ventures have the pro-formas to make money in a tough market? The Digest investigates.
…
Avello Bioenergy
Cost: $57.50 per …

by Mary Beckman (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory/R&D Magazine)  Rapidly growing bacteria that live in the ocean and can manufacture their own food hold promise as host organisms for producing chemicals, biofuels and medicine. Researchers at …

by Austine Decker (NEWBio)  In November 2013 , Paul Heasley, an instructor with State College Area High School’s (SCASD) Career and Technical Center in State College, PA, received funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for …

(US Department of Energy)  Last week concluded the beta run of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) sponsored BioenergizeME Virtual Science Fair—a high school competition that has students create and share infographics about bioenergy concepts. Student …

(NewBIO)  The Northeast Bioenergy Scholars Program is an exciting summer research experience program for enthusiastic undergraduates who are interested in exploring bioenergy utilizing cutting-edge techniques. Check out the list of current topics and locations for …

by Mary Kanga, Cynthia M. Kannoa, Matthew C. Reida, Xin Zhangb, Denise L. Mauzeralla, Michael A. Celia, Yuheng Chen, and Tullis C. Onstott (PNAS)  Abandoned oil and gas wells provide a potential pathway for subsurface migration and 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 …

(The White House Office of Science and Technology)  …  Continued progress into the future will depend on ensuring a climate-smart citizenry and a next-generation American workforce of city planners, community leaders, engineers, and entrepreneurs who understand the urgent …

by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  What a wonderful day, talking from dawn ‘til dusk about the past, present and future of biofuels with faculty and students excited about their work in this area.
It was …

by Wendy Koch (USA Today)  People living near natural-gas wells were more than twice as likely to report upper-respiratory and skin problems than those farther away, says a major study Wednesday on the potential health …

by Sergei Blair  (Town and Country)  Although it may look like an ordinary tall grass, scientists from Penn State’s Cooperative Extension, Montgomery County, said switchgrass—commonly found across much of the eastern and southern Unites States—can …

(prweb.com)  The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has selected Drexel University to perform research that will monitor and quantify the composition of waste greases to improve knowledge about the feasibility of grease-to-biodiesel processes. A key …

by John M. Urbanchuk  (ABF Economics/Renewable Fuels Association)  … Reflecting this enhanced competitiveness and maturation, ethanol prices (both FOB plant and delivered at key U.S. markets) have declined, while crude oil and conventional gasoline prices remained stable or increased.
Consequently:
1. …

by Sue Retka Schill (Biomass Magazine)  Bioenergy professionals interested in getting certified or earning a master’s degree might want to check in on Penn State’s program in renewable energy and sustainability systems. The university launched …

by Seth Palmer  (Phys.Org)  Cocoa farmers this year will lose an estimated 30 to 40 percent of their crop to pests and disease, and with chocolate prices having risen globally by roughly two-thirds in the …

by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post)  The multibillion-dollar Anschutz Exploration Corp., which helped make its founder, Philip Anschutz, one of the richest men in America, filed a lawsuit three years ago against Dryden, a small town in …

(Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics/Biomass Magazine) Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has requested U.S. EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins investigate whether the Carlyle Group and Delta Airlines improperly influenced the EPA’s proposed renewable fuel …

by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press)  In Pennsylvania’s gas drilling boom, newer and unconventional wells leak far more often than older and traditional ones, according to a study of state inspection reports for 41,000 wells.
The results …

by Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuel USA) The 2014 edition of the Energy Path convergence which took place at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, delineates the path that we should take for the betterment of the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … Delta Air Lines is partnering with the Carbon War Room, a nonprofit organization founded by Sir Richard Branson, in an effort to accelerate low-carbon jet fuel production worldwide.
This is part …

(Vermont Bioenergy Initiative)  A new report evaluating grass biomass energy as a potential heating fuel has been released. Grass Energy in Vermont and the Northeast summarizes current research on the agronomy and usage potential of grass as …

by Olatomiwa Bifarin* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The June edition of the Northeast bioenergy webinar series by Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium (NEWBio) featured Kwesi Boateng – Lead Scientist at the United States Department of Energy, Agricultural …

(US Department of Agriculture)  Farm Bill Implementation Continues at Brisk Pace with Universities and State Cooperative Extension Programs Now Set to Help Educate Farmers
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture …

by Amanda Peterka (E&E reporter/Greenwire)  The United States may be losing a major opportunity to be a global leader in the growing market for green chemicals because of its overwhelming policy tilt toward biofuels, industry …

by Cesary Podkul and Jeff Mason  (Reuters)  Six months ago the U.S. oil industry scored a surprise win against farm groups when the Obama administration proposed slashing the amount of ethanol refiners must blend into …

by Pamela Rockwell* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Sid Harwood and Shannon Helzer both have a military background, both are physics teachers at Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, PA, and both are committed to the success …

by Philip Gruber (Lancaster Online)  A plan to make biofuel partially on the farm is starting to take shape in Montgomery County.   Typically, the entire process of converting high-energy crops to biofuel has been done …

by Chuck (DomesticFuel.com)  … This new virtual community is set up to provide a meeting place to share information, contribute to farming related discussions and access premium contents and services. It is very simple to create …

by Ann Perry (US Department of Agriculture)   Innovations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are bringing researchers one step closer to developing “green” biofuel production systems farmers can use to meet on-farm energy needs, or to …

by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (FuelFix)  Researchers found higher-than-expected emissions of a potent greenhouse gas emanating from Pennsylvania wells, according to a study published Monday that adds to concerns about the environmental footprint of natural gas.
The study, conducted …