by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every great biofuels technology has its own companion feedstock strategy – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who’s got what it takes to be a great Sherpa, providing that feedstock or intermediates edge that puts
Tennessee
Back TO HOMEThe Hillary Step: 7 Biofuels Contenders, 7 Routes to Scale, Who’s Near the Summit, Who Will Plant the Flag?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Every biofuels contender has its own route to the top – with unique advantages and technical challenges. Who is nearing the Summit, what’s their Hillary Step, who’s got Sherpas, who’s got oxygen? It’s the race
October 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Water-Wise Biofuel Crop Study to Alter Plants Metabolic, Photosynthesis Process
(Phys.Org) Putting the water-use-efficient and turbo-charged photosynthesis from plants such as agave into woody biomass plants such as poplar can hedge against predicted long-term increases in temperatures and reduced precipitation. It can also provide dedicated energy crops suitable for establishment
September 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels Companies Showcase Progress
by Colleen Lerro (BIO) Wednesday at the National Press Club, several advanced biofuels companies joined BIO to showcase the progress the industry has made in recent years. U.S. companies have worked to rapidly scale up advanced biofuel technology – through pilot
September 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Functional Characterization of the Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor PvMYB4 for Improvement of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
Hui Shen, Xianzhi He, Charleson R. Poovaiah, Wegi A. Wuddineh, Junying Ma, David G. J. Mann, Huanzhong Wang, Lisa Jackson, Yuhong Tang, C. Neal Stewart Jr, Fang Chen, Richard A. Dixon (New Phytologist) The major obstacle for bioenergy production from switchgrass biomass is the low saccharification efficiency caused by cell wall recalcitrance.
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Genetic Manipulation of Lignin Reduces Recalcitrance and Improves Ethanol Production from Switchgrass
by Chunxiang Fu, Jonathan R. Mielenz, Xirong Xiao, Yaxin Ge, Choo Y. Hamilton, Miguel Rodriguez, Jr., Fang Chen, Marcus Foston, Arthur Ragauskas, Joseph Bouton, Richard A. Dixon, and Zeng-Yu Wang (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Switchgrass is a leading dedicated bioenergy feedstock in the United States
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Salicylic Acid Mediates the Reduced Growth of Lignin Down-Regulated Plants
Lina Gallego-Giraldo, Luis Escamilla-Trevino, Lisa A. Jackson, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Down-regulation of the enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) leads to strongly reduced lignin levels,
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Mutation of WRKY Transcription Factors Initiates Pith Secondary Wall Formation and Increases Stem Biomass in Dicotyledonous Plants
Huanzhong Wang, Utku Avci, Jin Nakashima, Michael G. Hahn, Fang Chen, and Richard A. Dixon (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Stems of dicotyledonous plants consist of an outer epidermis, a cortex, a ring of secondarily thickened vascular bundles and interfascicular
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
New West Memphis Center Leads Push to Renewable Energy
by Wayne Risher (The Commercial Appeal/Equities.com) Mid-South Community College officials are betting East Arkansas has what it takes to be a leader in alternative fuels: Fertile fields, a world-class transportation hub, and, as of this week, a research, development and
August 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Methylation by a Unique α-class N4-Cytosine Methyltransferase Is Required for DNA Transformation of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM6725
by Daehwan Chung, Joel Farkas, Jennifer R. Huddleston, Estefania Olivar, Janet Westpheling (PLoS ONE) Thermophilic microorganisms capable of using complex substrates offer special advantages for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and bioproducts. Members of the Gram-positive bacterial genus Caldicellulosiruptor are anaerobic thermophiles with optimum growth
August 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Missouri Organizes for Energy Independence
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Like many states (or countries) that have limited oil reserves or reserves that are economically unfeasible to extract at this time – the path to energy independence lies generally in Missouri’s substantial “above-ground oil fields”
August 23, 2012 Read Full Article
More Biodiesel, Ethanol Choices on I-75 Green Corridor
by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com) Taking that cross-country, summer trip just got a little greener as four more E85 ethanol and three more biodiesel blend stations have opened up along Interstate 75 in Georgia. That particular road is part of the I-75
August 09, 2012 Read Full Article
See for Yourself: New BIO Book Showcases Visible Progress in Industrial Biotech
(Biotechnology Industry Organization) BIO recently introduced a picture book of biorefineries across the United States,“Visible Progress in Commercialization of Advanced Biofuels, Biobased Products and Renewable Chemicals”, which showcases commercial, demonstration and even new pilot facilities. Some of these facilities have been in
July 31, 2012 Read Full Article
Dynamic Recycling LLC Could Locate in Bristol Tennessee
by Rober Brown (Bristol Herald Courier/Tricities.com) Bristol, Va., officials might have turned down the relocation of an ethanol plant in their city, but the facility is very much wanted in Bristol, Tenn., City Manager Jeff Broughton said. The former Armour Foods
July 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum Fuel Processor Plans Demonstration Plant at Agricenter
(The Commercial Appeal) BioDimensions Delta BioRenewables (BDBR) will install a sweet sorghum processing facility at AgriCenter International after an investment from Epec Biofuels Holdings. ...“We consider industrial sugar to be ‘Nature’s Crude Oil’ and are making a commitment to help BDDR
July 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Heat-Loving Bacteria Could Lead to Next-Generation Microbe
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Key proteins have been identified in a family of bacteria that help the microbes grab onto pieces of plant material in order to better degrade it. This was discovered during the examination of eight
July 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Fuel Treatment Now Available from Dynamic Synthetic LLC
(Yahoo!News/PRWEB) Ethanol is now blended in most motor fuels. When the fuel is not consumed rapidly, such as in lawn equipment, and water sport equipment, performance issues can occur. This treatment addresses performance issues caused by ethanol, and is a short term fuel stabilizer. ...Dynamic
July 03, 2012 Read Full Article
As State Funds Expire, Genera Seeks New Mission
by Kay Brookshire (KnoxvilleBiz.com) As the state's five-year, $70.5 million investment in the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative comes to an end in June, Genera Energy will take on a more focused role as a biomass supply company for biofuels producers. At the
June 05, 2012 Read Full Article
Yecch, Ptooey! The 13 Oddest and Strangest Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Most of the stories we write at the Digest on the subject of biofuels feedstocks fall into the well-established realms of normal. But every once in a while, a feedstock emerges that is so compellingly
June 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Sorghum Goes Epic, or Is That EPEC? A Primer on Biofuels’ Underdog Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up? What’s next? New pathways, plus country-by-country yield data. Sorghum. It’s a feedstock right out the pages of the old South – sorghum syrup served with corn bread and Lowcountry boils. ...There’s sweet sorghum and grain
May 30, 2012 Read Full Article
The Wilmington Express: The 10-Minute Guide to Dupont and Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (T)he company’s metrics in cellulosic biofuels are starting to look compelling. Not only is commercialization a lot less than five years away – a massive breakout in capacity building looks feasible within that time
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Ceres Sweet Sorghum Hybrids Processed by Amyris
(Ceres) • Pilot project validates U.S.-produced sweet sorghum as a potential feedstock for advanced biofuels and bio-products. • Conversion efficiency of sweet sorghum sugars were similar to sugarcane. Energy crop company Ceres, Inc. (Nasdaq: CERE) today announced its improved sweet sorghum hybrids
May 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Tenn. Professor Cruises Cross-Country on 2.15 Gallons of Gas
by The (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) Daily News Journal (USA Today) ... (Cliff) Ricketts, a Middle Tennessee State University professor, and his eight-member support team drove three Toyota hybrid alternative-fuels vehicles approximately 2,582 miles across country, using only about 2.15 gallons of
March 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Extreme Biofuels and Those Heat-Seeking X Bugs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Some of the first American visitors to Yellowstone, who began to record their journeys into the wilds of northwestern Wyoming during the early 1870s, noted the horrible taste of the water from the hot
February 16, 2012 Read Full Article
When Bio and Solar Converge: 6 Hot Projects at the Bio-Solar-Electric Frontier
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... When it comes down to it, a living organism such as a plant is an incredibly sophisticated next-gen solar panel, harvesting light as well as CO2, water and nutrients for the production of energy,
February 03, 2012 Read Full Article
Blue Sun to Offer Biodiesel at Knoxville, Tenn., Terminal
by Bryan Sims (Biodiesel Magazine) Denver-based biodiesel producer, marketer and distributor Blue Sun Biodiesel announced that it plans to deliver mechanically blended biodiesel to the Cummins Terminal located in Knoxville, Tenn., from a heated 546,000-gallon biodiesel tank through three of
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Mid-South Community College’s Renewable Energy Facility Named after Marion Berry
by Michael Sheffield (Memphis Business Journal) Mid-South Community Collegewill name its $9 million renewable energy facility after retired Congressman Marion Berry. The 35,000-square-foot Marion Berry Renewable Energy Center will provide a learning facility for the school’s green jobs training, which includes processing of organic
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
DuPont’s Cellulosic Plans
by Melody Bomgardne (Central Science/Cleantech Chemistry) DuPont has been digesting its acquisition of Danisco for a while now, and has sent out an update about what used to be called DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol – now shortened, as you might
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Lincoln Energy Nearly Triples Ethanol Transport Fleet
by Matt Soberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Lincoln Energy Solutions will nearly triple its ethanol and biodiesel transportation services, increasing its current fleet to 16 tankers with seven additional units scheduled to arrive by year end. With over 30 years of
November 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Firm’s Next Bet: Algae
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) An emerging green industry aims to develop a new source of fuel to replace oil, but the quick money could be elsewhere. Green slime is growing in ponds next to an ethanol plant here, and Todd
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
US Department of Energy Biomass Program Releases "Land-Use Change and Bioenergy" Summary Report
(US Department of Energy) The Biomass Program released the "Land-Use Change and Bioenergy" summary report. This publication describes the Biomass Program’s efforts to examine the intersection of land-use change and bioenergy production. It outlines legislation requiring land-use change assessments, key
October 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Estimates Biorefinery's Economic Impact
by Larisa Brass (KnoxvilleBiz.com) Dupont Danisco Cellulosic Energy may not have announced definitive plans for siting a commercial biofuels plant in the state, but University of Tennessee researcher Edward Yu has some suggestions. As part of a study on the local
October 28, 2011 Read Full Article
First-of-a-kind Tension Wood Study Broadens Biofuels Research
(Physorg.com) Taking a cue from Mother Nature, researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center have undertaken a first-of-its-kind study of a naturally occurring phenomenon in trees to spur the development of more efficient bioenergy crops. Tension wood, which forms
October 26, 2011 Read Full Article
UT Center for Renewable Carbon Named as Lead Institution for $15 Million USDA Grant
(University of Tennessee) Center to coordinate woody biomass production and utilization studies The Center for Renewable Carbon, a program of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, has been named by the USDA as a recipient of one of five coordinated
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Gevo, the Panicked Investor, and the Aviation Fuels Opportunity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 30 billion gallons of aviation fuels demand, and Gevo’s got a technology to produce it, using retrofitted ethanol plants, and a path to fueling planes at parity with conventional jet fuel prices. Game-changer? ...Why are investors
September 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Major Investments to Spur Innovation and Job Creation in Research, Development and Production of Next Generation Biofuels
(US Department of Agriculture) Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced five major agricultural research projects today aimed at developing regional, renewable energy markets, generating rural jobs, and decreasing America's dependence on foreign oil. Altogether, the five-year program will deliver more than
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
SAFER Bioeconomy Case Study Series: Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council
(The Southeast Agriculture & Forest Energy Resources Alliance)... The Governor’s Conference on Biofuels came on the heels of the Biofuels Initiative in May 2007, further spreading the word about new economic opportunities and providing the spark for the creation of TREEDC. It was at
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Vonore Biomass Plant Could Go Commercial as Switchgrass Gains Ground
by Ed Marcum (KnoxNews.com) The University of Tennessee showed off its biofuel facilities here Tuesday to top state officials as the school works to increase efficiencies so that the experimental project can become a commercial operation. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen.
August 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Engineer Touts Ethanol Pipeline in Hamilton County
by Ansley Haman (TimesFreePress.com) A local engineer wants to build a "moonshine" pipeline through county property in the Bonny Oaks Industrial & Office Park. Mike Price, with M.A.P. Engineers, has been meeting individually with Hamilton County commissioners about a proposed ethanol facility.
August 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Zoning Request Sparks Safety Concerns, Reveals Divide among City Council Members
by Beverly A. Carroll (NOOGA.com) A rezoning request to allow an ethanol transfer station in the Bonny Oaks Industrial Park has brought to a head the Chattanooga City Council’s philosophical differences over the use of special exception permits. Englewood Enterprises is
August 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Vilsack: USDA Will Continue to Push for Blender Pump Expansion
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The USDA’s Aug. 17 announcement of 900 Rural Energy for America Program grants included just 21 awards for blender pumps. USDA officials promise, however, that more funding is on the way. The announcement highlighted
August 22, 2011 Read Full Article
Oak Ridge Researchers Identify Key Gene; Could Streamline Biofuels Production
(The Oak Ridger) A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center, which is led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, have reportedly pinpointed the exact, single gene that controls ethanol production capacity in a microorganism. This discovery
August 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Who’s on the List? The U.S. EPA Pegs a Handful of Cellulosic Producers to Contribute to Next Year’s RFS Goal
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In June, the U.S EPA issued its proposal to reduce the coming year’s cellulosic biofuels volume target for the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The RFS goals set by Congress in 2007 call for increasing
August 04, 2011 Read Full Article
CSHL to Help Assemble ‘Knowledgebase’ on Plants, Microbes, to Aid US Biofuel, Environment Efforts
(Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) In Kbase, cloud computing brings disparate data streams into focus In the decade that has passed since the completion of the first draft sequence of the human genome, biologists have grown increasingly aware of a problem ironically
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
How Do Farmers Choose Bioenergy Crops?
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Carolyn Hoagland was recently awarded the Volkswagen Distinguished Scholar for her work in learning about how farmers choose to grow bioenergy crops. Hoagland, an adult student, is an environmental science major at the University of Tennessee at
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE Bioenergy Research Centers Help Lead Nation to 25x'25 Goal
(25 x '25) A critical component of the 25x’25 mission is to educate and share with policy makers and consumers alike the value of renewable solutions to our nation’s energy needs. In the spirit of that undertaking, the 25x’25 Alliance
July 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Unlocking the Structure of Lignin, and Feasible Pathways to Cellulosic Conversion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Research from ORNL reveals new details of bioenergy’s most daunting technical barrier ...Lignin, for those newer to the biofuels world, is a complex chemical compound that makes veggies, plants and wood firm, confers resistance to pests,
June 17, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Chief Touts Ethanol's Benefits
by Andy Humbles (The Tennessean) He lauds TN's key role in development of rising biofuel ...U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Nashville on Monday, speaking at a Thorntons gas station in West Nashville on the advantages of ethanol and the
May 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Food v. Fuel Revisited
by Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer (Daily Yonder) ...As we listen to this debate, the implied assumption is that the sole purpose of farming is to provide food and certainly that has been true for over half a
May 16, 2011 Read Full Article
The Beginning of the End of the Ethanol Joke
by Paul Studebaker (Sustainable Planet) ...It’s too soon to talk about grain-based ethanol in the past tense, but maybe not by much. While ethanol has a place as a bio-based octane enhancer and consequently, as a means to extend oil
May 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Israel Corp. Unit Reports Biomass Fuel Breakthrough
by Amiram Barkat and Yael Gruntman (Globes Israel's Business Arena) Primus Green Energy has an agreement with Lockheed Martin to develop bio-jet fuel for the US Defense Department. Primus Green Energy Ltd., a US subsidiary of Israel Corporation's renewable energy unit IC
April 29, 2011 Read Full Article
New UT/ORNL Center: Taking on the World's Energy Problems and Translating Intellectual Capital into Economic Investment
(University of Tennessee) The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is launching an academic unit that seeks to transform the energy industry in our country and the world, as well as the state and
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel, Economics, and Society: An Interview with Daniel De La Torre Ugarte
(ActionBioScience) ...If we improve the agricultural system, can biofuels become sustainable? Ugarte: Definitely. I think that it is important to understand that biofuels do not have to be the goal of production, but rather, a means to a goal. An important
March 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Austin Peay State University Professor and Students Author Paper on Groundbreaking Biofuel Research
(Clarksville Online) ...Dr. Sergi Markov, associate professor of biology at Austin Peay State University, has an idea that could help push the alternative fuel race to new levels of possibility. For the last several years, Markov and two of his APSU
February 22, 2011 Read Full Article
DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory Launches One-Stop Shop Biofuels Website
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched a new interactive website meant to integrate a wide variety of data and resources related to bioenergy in an attempt to provide a holistic view
February 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Tennessee Opens New Research Facilities at Center for Renewable Carbon
(University of Tennessee) Facilities expected to advance biobased research for energy, fuels, chemicals and materials The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture has opened a comprehensive research facility to accommodate faculty and industry initiatives through the new Center for Renewable Carbon
February 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Genera Identifies Switchgrass as Starting Point
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Research being conducted in Tennessee to take biomass from the “farm gate to the biorefinery gate” has zeroed in on switchgrass. That’s not to say that switchgrass is the only answer for cellulosic ethanol
January 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Bonanza for East TN Farmers
(Nashville Business Journal) East Tennessee farmers have started to reap benefits from efforts to turn switchgrass into biofuel, with at least one farmer saying that if he had it to do over again, he would devote four times as much
January 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Pratt & Whitney Military Engines Power Biofuel Tests for U.S. Air Force
(Pratt & Whitney) A Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engine recently powered its first biofuel test flight of a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. This flight test, powered by alternative jet fuel, comes on the
January 10, 2011 Read Full Article
Tennessee Switchgrass Initiative Looking for Investors
(Nashville Public Radio) The state’s switchgrass initiative is looking for new investors. The program aims to turn crops of the tall perennial grass into ethanol to fuel cars. Now it’s using a new East Tennessee biorefinery to demonstrate the technology, in
January 05, 2011 Read Full Article
The Impact Of A Renewable Electricity Standard & A Carbon Payment Program
By Don Hofstrand (Iowa State University Extension/JoplinStockyards.com) U.S. energy policy has recently moved into the background due to concerns about the current economic downturn. However, the importance of the two major drivers of energy policy - the need to wean
December 30, 2010 Read Full Article
Genera Energy and Alcoa Partner to Grow Switchgrass in Blount County; Planting has significant environmental benefit
(Genera Energy) Land owned by Alcoa Inc, Tennessee Operations, is now being used to grow a popular perennial grass known for producing cellulosic ethanol. Approximately 238 acres of switchgrass have been planted on property that Alcoa leases to a local farmer
August 23, 2010 Read Full Article
On-Farm Demonstrations of Energy Crop Production Underway
(University of Tennessee) Study includes multiple varieties of switchgrass. Midsummer is nearly here, and the University of Tennessee Biofuels Initiative (UTBI) is closely watching how more than 1000 acres of newly planted, improved varieties of switchgrass are faring. Only time will
July 23, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol Terminal Opens in Shreveport
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) A terminal to provide the ethanol needs of northwest Louisiana and the surrounding area has opened in Shreveport. Eco-Energy, Inc. of Franklin, Tennessee recently started operations at the ethanol distribution terminal, which is a joint project with Red
May 12, 2010 Read Full Article
Bio-Based Potential for Delta Ag
by Hembree Brandon (Delta Farm Press) As Mid-South states continue to lose much of the traditional manufacturing-based industries that migrated to the areas beginning in the 1950s, new bio-based opportunities are emerging, says Pete Nelson. “We’re among the best in the
April 12, 2010 Read Full Article
$200M Refinery to Convert Wood Products into Fuel, Electricity
(Nashville Business Journal) Another green energy company is coming to Tennessee, but this one doesn’t have anything to do with solar power, unless you count photosynthesis. Hawaii-based ClearFuels Technology has agreed to partner with Hughes Hardwood to develop a biorefinery in
March 11, 2010 Read Full Article
Judge Rejects Challenge to N.C. "Ethanol Blending" Law -- Similar to Pending TN Lawsit
by Tom Humphrey (Knoxnews.com) A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit by the American Petroleum Institute that sought to invalidate North Carolina's "ethanol blending" statute, which is similar to a 2009 law passed by the Tennessee legislature. API has also
February 17, 2010 Read Full Article
Group Helps Small Cities Go Green
by Larisa Brass (Knoxvillebiz.com) A number of new organizations are springing up across Tennessee with a green glint in their eye. Among them is the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council, a group that's working with smaller cities to implement green
December 03, 2009 Read Full Article
Tennessee Legislators Approve Changes to Switchgrass Project
(Tennessean) A panel of state lawmakers approved plans to amend a $70 million research effort to produce ethanol in East Tennessee, blaming a lack of communication for a hearing two weeks ago in which some members suggested pulling the plug