(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 …

by Kristen Johnson (U.S. Department of Energy)  … Growing deep-rooted perennial crops, like switchgrass or willow, together with annual crops and livestock in a farming system is starting to gain traction. This is due in large part …

(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 Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Nov. 16, U.S. EPA’s proposed Renewable Enhancement and Growth Support rule was published in the Federal Register, officially opening a 60-day public comment period on the proposal. Comments are …

by Antoine C. Schellinger (Biofuels Digest/ International Alliance Group)  … The EPA has performed lifecycle analysis on certain pathways and published them in the CFR as approved pathways. They are labeled with sequential alphabetical characters and …

by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine)  As for what is left to do after Congress returns on Nov. 15, extending existing biofuel tax credits are number one on the list.
…
In early October, the U.S. …

by Anthony King (Horizon Magazine)  Hacking trees by adding bacteria to their roots could help scrub contaminated soil clean of chemicals and metals from industrial spillages and fallouts, a process known as gentle remediation.

Once the …

by Michael Hirtzer (Reuters)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday proposed tweaks to its Renewable Fuel Standard that would allow biofuels to be processed at more than one location and would allow cellulosic ethanol to …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  … Within the proposed rule, the EPA explains that the RFS registration, reporting, recordkeeping and product transfer document (PTD) requirements were designed with the general expectation that renewable biomass would be …

(Environmental Protection Agency)  EPA is proposing enhancements to its Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) program and other related fuel regulations to support market growth of ethanol and other renewable fuels in the U.S. These proposed changes …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Amidst the discussion this week of the future of first-gen and advanced biofuels in the EU —   we were intrigued by this slide deck on advances in biomass production for the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Genera Energy “leads the nation in the commercialization of integrated biomass supply chain solutions for the biofuels, biopower and biochemicals markets.”
Initially formed in 2008, Genera works with leading technology providers …

by Katie Elyce Jones (Phys.Org)  To help stakeholders in government and business make smart decisions about the best types of land and local climates for planting bioenergy crops, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Bioenergy Feedstock Library is a physical sample repository and database for physical, chemical and conversion performance characteristics of biomass feedstock.
The library provides tools to store, record, track, retrieve, and analyze data to help …

(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 …

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the joint investment of $10 million towards research that will …

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 …

(Phys.Org/VTT Technical Research Center of Finland)  VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Aalto University investigated how willow biomass can be utilised more efficiently. When processed correctly, willow is eminently suitable as a source of …

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 …

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 …

This National Working Forum will bring together a wide array of stakeholders to discuss opportunities for poplar and willow in environmental applications and as a feedstock for developing renewable fuel industries. Participants will contribute to …

by Claire Vath (DTN/The Progressive Farmer)  … “We had something like 200 trespass cows from a nearby land lease,” Willow says. So, they constructed a fence. And while it kept animals out, the damage had already …

Both poplar and willow can be grown for many environmental applications. These trees are also excellent feedstocks to replace petroleum. This forum will bring together stakeholders from across the nation to discuss how to move the …

by Joel Schlesinger(The Globe and Mail)  … To that end, the startup has developed a technology to turn biomass – plant matter – into heavy fuel that burns like diesel.
“Using a combination of pressure, temperature and …

by  Larry Smart and Christine Smart (US Department of Energy Genomics Science Program)  The generation of renewable energy and the manufacture of biobased products can significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and begin to limit …

by Herbert Ssegane, M. Cristina Negri, John Quinn, Meltem Urgun-Demirtas (Biomass and Bioenergy)  Design of a multifunctional landscape by integrating cellulosic biofuel production into an existing agricultural system.  The design does not adversely offset current grain …

(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 …

(US Department of Energy)  “Sustainability in Bioenergy: A Nation Connected” is a short documentary highlighting personal stories and the efforts being made by communities across the United States to develop, produce, and provide bioenergy, while …

by Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Energy World)  A rapid-growing tree, many researchers think poplar is missing its calling as a high-quality cellulosic bioenergy feedstock. — As the world’s fastest growing temperate tree species, poplar can add a dozen …

(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 Padma Nagappan (TakePart)  … Now researchers at the United States Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory think they have a solution that allows farmers to profit from growing both food and advanced biofuels while benefitting …

(Science Daily)  A new study, led by Professor Nick Hewitt of Lancaster University, examined changes in ground level ozone in response to projected land use change associated with future biofuel cultivation.
Publishing in the journal Environmental …

(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 …

by Payal Marathe (Argonne National Laboratory)  We ask a lot of the land: feed the world with crops, power the world with bioenergy, retain nutrients so they don’t pollute our water and air. To help …

(Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium – NEWBio)  As the largest supplier of shrub willow planting stock in the United States, Double A Willow is a critical link between research and the commercial development of renewable energy.
…
Double …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Massachusetts, Joule, the pioneer of liquid fuels from recycled CO2, announced the issuance of an additional patent on the direct, continuous production of hydrocarbon fuels – extending its ability …

Speaker:  Eric Fabio, Cornell University:  Controlling weed competition is a critical component of shrub willow establishment due to low planting density and initially poor competitive ability.  Recommendations formed in the US fifteen years ago stress …

Author, Dan Quadros, in Auburn, Alabama.

by Danilo Gusmão de Quadros* (Advanced Biofuels USA)  After two days (February 2-3, 2015) in “Sweet Home Alabama” at Auburn University, we got overwhelmed with the most recent discoveries of …

(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 …

(State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)   Work focuses on making renewable feedstocks more affordable
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded up to $3 million to the SUNY College of Environmental …

This short course will include beginner to intermediate presentations on willow crop production, harvest, utilization for heat and power, alternative applications and environmental benefits with several related tours around the SUNY ESF campus, and an …

(State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)  EcoWillow 2.0 is the most comprehensive and up-to-date financial analysis tool for shrub willow biomass crops. Originally released in 2008 after over 20 years …

by Anna Simet (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  BioCycle plans to make use of agricultural scrap and waste materials and other biomass sources as manufacturing precursors, via a $5 million bioprocessing facility that is currently in final …

(Extension.org)  Grown for biofuel, energy-efficient shrub willow sequesters carbon below-ground, life-cycle assessment shows.  Shrub willow is a short-rotation woody biomass crop that could be an important part of our renewable energy future. By sequestering carbon …

by Samantha Wallace (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)    … The Northeast Woody/Warm Season Bioenergy Consortium, or NEW Bio, a regional network of universities, businesses and governments, dedicated to establishing sustainable biomass energy projects is supervising the project at …

by Michael Jacobson (NEWBio)  Michael Jacobson, Professor of Forest Resources at Penn State, recounts his October 2013 visit and conversation with bioenergy entrepreneur and willow grower Stanislaw Dolata, whose willow business is located in northwestern …

by Lisa Deeney (Agriland)  A new European research project seeks grass crops that could be grown and harvested on marginal lands, away from areas suitable for food crops.
According to the researchers, grass could be used to …

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine)  The West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center at Marshall University has expanded its partnership with the West Virginia Division of Energy’s Office of Coalfield Community Development to explore the reuse and …

by Rachel Passmore (NewBIO)  … The shrub willow lifecycle begins with a place to plant the seeds. Part of NEWBio’s research focuses on the use of land that is undesirable for food production, land that contains …

by Bruce Dorminey (Renewable Energy World)  Shrub willow — the short rotation crop that kept the world in wicker baskets for centuries — is gradually finding new life as a cold-resistant biomass, particularly in upstate New …

(BioenergyCrops.com)  A brand new study (2013) found that the projected energy demand (2035) in developing countries, can be covered with energy crops in surplus agricultural lands, then not competing with food production. The study, from the Department …

by Mark Kinver (BBC News)  Scientists have identified willow trees that yield five times as much sugar as ordinary varieties, “drastically reducing” the impact of biofuels.
UK researchers found that if the trees grew at an angle, …

(Associated Press/Times Union)  Energy from willows is moving out of the experimental stage and into commercial production in New York.
Farms are growing willow shrubs and selling them to a utility, a nursery sells them commercially and …

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  The Union of Concerned Scientists has published a report that shows that biomass feedstock has the potential to dramatically increase our nation’s renewable energy supply. The report, titled “The …

(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe)   This report was prepared as a joint effort by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institute, University of Rostock, Chalmers University of Technology, Georg-August University of Goettingen, University of …

by Dave Cooper (Edmonton Journal)  After flourishing on waste water from the town’s sewage treatment plant for more than two years, Whitecourt’s biomass crop of willows and poplars was ripe for harvest.
And last week, researchers …

(Biofuels Journal)  Five undergraduate students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign received a $5,000 grant from British Petroleum to research the engineering properties of biomass.
The students wrote the grant to develop a virtual database that will …

by Megan Cassidy  (Columbia Missourian)  Shibu Jose and his team believe that today’s soggy river bottoms could be untapped grounds for the largest advanced biofuel economy in the nation.
Jose, director for MU’s Center for Agroforestry, is …

by Jane Milliman  (Democrat and Chronicle)  Normally the word “willow” brings to mind those huge weepers that hug stream banks or the sticks with big fuzzy buds you can harvest in the early spring. But here …

(GreenAirOnline)  The UK’s East Midlands Airport is to establish a 26-hectare willow farm on its land to produce biofuel to power a biomass boiler, which will be situated in the terminal building. The farm is …