(25 x ’25/North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance) Last November, we wrote here of a major breakthrough occurring at the global climate talks in Bonn, Germany, where, for the first time, delegates approved plans to …

by Julie Harker (Brownfield Ag News)  Mixed prairie grasses that are used in Conservation Reserve Program lands did not live up to their potential as biomass crops for cellulosic biofuel production, in an eight-year study. D.K. Lee, …

(The Herald)  Fuel prices shot up recently before Government intervened by reducing import duty on fuel to stem the price madness that rose as a result. Questions have been raised as to the contribution of the …

(University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences/Science Daily)  A new report provides practical agronomic data for five cellulosic feedstocks, which could improve adoption and increase production across the country.  —  … “Early yield estimates …

(European Environment Agency)  Making Europe’s production, consumption and trade in food environmentally sustainable is possible, but it will require a major shift in public attitudes, policies and knowledge and seizing current opportunities for change, according to …

by Erica Solomon (Masdar Institute News)   Harvesting of the First Crop of Oil-Rich Plants Grown in the Desert Using Seawater Brings the UAE Closer to Fueling Aircraft with Locally-Produced Biofuel  —  
Masdar Institute of Science and …

by Martin Kadzere (AllAfrica/The Herald)  Ethanol producer, Green Fuel has put on hold its $1 billion expansion programme as the current environment does not support the scale of investment, sources have said.
The company, jointly owned …

by Lorenz Bauer (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) … Managing the water in biomass processes like food production, fermentations, pyrolysis, and biodiesel production is critical to success.   There is an increasing appreciation of the value of clean …

(Sugar News)   Indian scientists have demonstrated that waste water from some of the dirtiest industrial processes can be turned into a carbon source for preparation of energy storage materials.
Researchers led by scientists from Bhavnagar-based …

by James Bobreski (Finger Lakes Times)  … Ethanol is the alcohol in our beer that we enjoy at a ball game, a party or after a long day at work. In this author’s opinion that’s where it …

(Eni) The agreement will see Eni’s refineries in Italy capitalize on a national energy resource by creating high quality biofuels from used vegetable oils, representing the final stage of the virtuous cycle of the “circular economy”.
Used …

by Bruce Dale (Detroit News)  Regarding “Renewable Fuel Standard has failed, April 16,” Prof. Wolfram has failed to do his homework.
The corn grown to make ethanol is not the same as sweet corn we eat. …

by Lee Imada (Maui News)  A general map showing possible uses of now fallow sugar fields — including areas for possible biodiesel-producing tree orchards, coffee and cacao crops and livestock-irrigated pastures — was projected on …

by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Successful water reduction and recycling require close attention to treatments and system impacts in ethanol production. —  …  As the industry has improved its efficiency and recycling, water …

(Environmental Research Web)  Cultivating algae for food and biofuel could make a serious dent in our greenhouse gas emissions, as well as helping to save freshwater resources and reduce deforestation.

Currently the emissions associated with land-use …

by Brian Warshay, J. Jed Brown, Sgouris Sgouridis (The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment)  Prospective evaluation of the lifecycle impacts of aviation biofuel production in Abu Dhabi, UAE based on a production system that integrates aquaculture, saltwater agriculture, …

(Bentley University/PR Newswire)  Bentley University research fellow Michael J. Walsh leads study finding algae food to have potential to mitigate climate change —  Scientists affiliated with the Marine Algal Industrialization Consortium have published a research …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Recently, we held a well-attended webinar on the markets and makers of ethanol from conventional to advanced. Here below is a slide deck presented on the day, from Praj – going through …

(Sandia National Laboratories)  A wide-ranging analysis of water vulnerability across the Pacific — including the U.S., China, Russia and Japan — has identified hundreds of locations where energy production depends upon scarce water supplies.
The Sandia …

by Geoffrey Carr (The Economist)  If agriculture is to continue to feed the world, it needs to become more like manufacturing, says Geoffrey Carr. Fortunately, that is already beginning to happen  —  Tom Rogers is an …

by Vonnie Estes (AgFunderNews)  With the need to produce more food using fewer inputs, agriculture is seeking new products, practices and technologies. As a planet we must use fewer chemicals and less water. Subsistence farmers …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Licella produces drop-in biofuels from a wide range of biomass and uses a supercritical water-based technology and catalysts to break up biomass and reform it into a drop-in fuel hydrocarbon.
The …

by Dave Evensen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Research finds where bioenergy crops would grow best while minimizing detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems  —  … Researchers at the University of Illinois used detailed models to examine impacts …

by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest)  In Italy, IEA Bioenergy and the Global Bioenergy Partnership have published the “Examples of Positive Bioenergy and Water Relationships,” which includes examples that illustrate an encouraging variety both in terms …

(US Department of Energy)  Argonne National Laboratory released a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) that examines the potential effects of future biofuel production on freshwater resources in the …

by Tu Q, Lu M, Thiansathit W, Keener TC (PubMed)  Although water is one of the most critical factors affecting the sustainable development of algal biofuels, it is much less studied as compared to the …

by Maija Sihvonen* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Global Cleantech Summit 2015 concentrated on cleantech strategies and business cooperation. Some venture capitalists have already declared cleantech dead as it has undergone the typical innovation life-cycle and has …

by Louisa Burwood-Taylor (AgFunderNews)  … “Ecological farming is ‘AgTech’ but of a different kind. It is a return to the original definition of ‘technology’, which comes from two Greek words: technis, which means art, skill, craft or the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In this year’s World Oil Outlook, OPEC writes:  The prospects for first generation biofuels are constrained by factors such as land use changes, excessive water usage, and the impact on …

(Petro-Online.com)  The roads of Brazil are flooded with over 36 million cars. With over 60% of vehicles running on ethanol based petrol, the environmental credentials of the country are impressive. Over the past few years, …

(University of Illinois/Biomass Magazine)  The University of Illinois has been awarded a 3-year, $5 million grant from the DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy as part of its OPEN 2015 funding initiative (ARPA-E OPEN). Under Principal Investigator …

by Whip Villarreal (University of Nevada, Reno)  College of Ag, Biotech and Natural Resources leads research project at University of Nevada, Reno  —  Glenn Miller is leading the effort in a project at the University of …

by John Andersen (Townsville Bulletin)  Work on a $564 million biofuel project which is set to create about 650 jobs is expected to start at Pentland in June next year.  The project, underpinned by the …

by Ann Bailey (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  Companies across the United States, are signing on with their support for the American Business Act on Climate Pledge.  By late October, 81 companies including at least 11 with …

by Kristen Johnson and Alicia Moulton  (U.S. Department of Energy)  At the Energy Department’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, we’re actively working to develop the advanced biofuels industry in a way that leads to positive impacts and …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  For two decades, ICM has adapted with the changing times, bringing technology solutions to the ethanol industry.  —  In 1995, ICM Inc. got its start with the purchase of …

(Environmental and Energy Study Institute)  On October 9, the U.S. Department of Energy released a report about the threats posed by climate change to the U.S. electricity and fuels sector, U.S. Energy Sector: Regional Vulnerabilities …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Does bioenergy place such massive pressure on water resources that it zeroes out the climate change benefits? Tweets around a recent article from PNAS say “yes, that’s so!” But is it really so?
The …

(Michigan State University)  Converting large tracts of the Midwest’s marginal farming land to perennial biofuel crops carries with it some key unknowns, including how it could affect the balance of water between rainfall, evaporation and …

by Jack Busby (ChemistryWorld/Scientific American)  Plants on arid land, rather than food crops like corn, could be turned into gasoline, new research shows
New analysis from UK researchers suggests a previously overlooked group of plants could …

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA)  The following are key excerpts from Pope Francis’ Encyclical, “Laudato Si,” or “Praised Be,” in which he calls for renewable fuel use, energy efficiency, transition from harmful, smoky cooking fuels …

by Barry Blitsteihn  (Chronicle Herald)  A corn field is harvested near Coy, Ark. in 2012. Three years later, “corn prices are in the basement, yet ethanol production is off the charts, so how can you …

(The American Society of Agronomy/Biodiesel Magazine)  In the U.S., federal mandates to produce more renewable fuels, especially biofuels, have led to a growing debate: Should fuel or food grow on arable land? Recent research shows …

by Scott Waldman (Capital New York) … The Department of Environmental Conservation released the 2,000-page final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for fracking, which opponents and proponents around the country have been awaiting since Gov. Andrew Cuomo …

(Whitefox)  Whitefox (www.whitefox.com), the clean fuel membrane specialist, announced today that it has signed an agreement with California based Pacific Ethanol, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEIX) for the delivery of an industrial scale membrane system. The objective …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Cool Planet, a California-based company that makes an organic, water-saving soil enhancer, was inspired by the order and is offering to help reach this goal by delivering a truckload of its water-saving CoolTerra …

by Frank Jossi  (Midwest Energy News)  Environmentalists and bioeconomy advocates reached an agreement last week to modify a bill moving through the Minnesota legislature that they hope will create a new clean energy and green …

by James Goodman (Democrat & Chronicle)  Jeffrey Lodge is finding a niche at Rochester Institute of Technology as a go-to guy for finding new uses for waste.
An associate professor of biological sciences, Lodge knows what …

(Byogy/PR Newswire) Byogy Renewables, a biofuels producer based in San Jose, California, has executed a strategic partnership agreement with Gen 2 Energy, an alternative energy company from Ames, Iowa, to develop a more cost-effective biofuel production …

(Regenis)  Sustainable energy production entered a new era in California today as a consortium of American companies joined together with state energy officials to launch the Calgren Ethanol Biodigester, which utilizes waste from dairy farms …

by Robert Pool, Rapporteur; Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Institute of Medicine (National Academies Press) Liquid fuels are a major part of modern life. They supply …

by Greg Cunningham (Argonne National Laboratory)  A new version of an online tool created by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory will help biofuels developers gain a detailed understanding of water consumption of …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  The Minnesota ethanol industry is evolving even in the face of growth challenges including continued uncertainty around the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Since 2007 the industry has improved by leaps and …

by Tim Unruh (Salina Journal)  Grain sorghum could be among the keys to reducing the massive mining of water in western Kansas, once it’s deemed economically desirable.
Long an ugly stepcousin in the family of Kansas …

by Jim Lane  (Biofuels Digest)  … With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of the powerpoint decks. But how do you get a hold of the great Q&A that follows …

by Kay Ledbetter (AgriLife Today)  As requirements grow for use of cellulosic biofuels to meet the energy needs of the nation, researchers look at potential feedstocks and any effects these alternative sources may have on greenhouse …

(U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre)  Project will create 65 jobs and support clean energy production
U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre announced today that the City of Clinton has received $1,758,150 to construct water and sewer infrastructure to support …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Think algae biofuels are real and near? Or, think it’s a promotional scheme for attracting finance for nutraceuticals and academic bridges-to-nowhere?  The barriers might be more, or less, daunting than …

(Sierra Express Media)  Addax Bioenergy (SL) Limited has been fully and formally certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). This is said to quite an achievement and everyone involved has to be commended. RSB …

by Daniel Nemukuyu (AllAfrica.com)  Macdom Investments, a sister company to Green Fuel, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to ensure consistent raw water supply for sugarcane production in Chisumbanje.
The sugar …

by Paul Woods (Algenol/Renewable Energy World)  …  When it comes to fuel production, climate change is a crucial issue that cannot be avoided. In the U.S., 3,600 million metric tons of CO2 are emitted from stationary …

by Peter Brown( Biofuels Magazine) Except for volume, biofuels and petroleum-derived products have reached parity in production efficiency and availability. What that means is that anything pulled from the earth can now be created from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  As Gevo reports its 4Q results and adds back some ethanol production, we look at the short-term gains and the long-term implications.   Why ethanol, why now — what’s the latest …

(Process Engineering)  Scientists at the University of Porto are currently developing water-free methods to produce biodiesel using waste vegetable oils, animal fats and fatty wastes derived from industrial processes.
Traditional methods of biodiesel production use large …

(Algae Biomass Organization)  Analysis can reduce time, cost associated with site development
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today (March 10, 2014) lauded a new publication from the Pacific Northwest …

by George Maponga (AllAfrica.com)  Zimbabwe Bio-Energy has announced plans to set up the country’s third ethanol plant at Nuanetsi Ranch in Mwenezi, where the firm wants thousands of locals to start sugarcane plantations using water …

by  Robert C. Brown and Tristan Brown (The Gazette)  In the face of criticism about ethanol, delays in the commercialization of advanced biofuels and the recent development of domestic supplies of fracked gas and petroleum, some …

by Bill Jones (Fresno Bee/Pacific Ethanol)  The Bee published a commentary on Feb. 14 by Tom Tanton titled “Making Ethanol is Wasting California’s Water.” The premise of the opinion piece was that the nation’s Renewable …

(Oklahoma State University) Oklahoma landowners have been hearing for years that removing the eastern redcedar trees from their property is essential for proper land management.
Aside from being an eyesore, the trees are extremely invasive, are an …

by Steve Byrns (AgriLife Today)  Pecos is usually egg-frying hot, bone dry and much of the groundwater is brackish, but Texas A&M AgriLife Research personnel know the area is prime real estate for conducting algae research, …

by James Palen (The Daily Transcript/San Diego Source)  … Brawley-based California Ethanol + Power is bringing the matter closer to home.
The company has yet to build its first facility, but by possibly the first quarter of 2014, it …

by Alice Daniel  (California Report)  California once grew a lot of sugar beets to supply the state’s sugar mills. Most of those the mills are closed now, and farmers have turned to other row crops. But …

by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News)  Sorghum Field Days are being held at six locations in Nebraska this week.  One of the stops will be the John Dvoracek farm near Farwell, where there are more …

by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com)  The House and Energy Commerce Committee has released its third white paper on the Renewable Fuel Standard, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Environmental Impacts.” Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), …

(US Department of Energy/Department of Defense)  General Comments
Although the author has done an extensive literature reading in the biofuels area, the paper does not have any analysis of critical issues of energy systems including petroleum …