Would Make Renewable Fuels Standard More “Technology Neutral”.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) today introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate that would help level the playingfield for advanced biofuels like algae by reforming the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to make it more “technology neutral. Learn More
In Washington, President Obama today announced that the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy will invest up to $510 million during the next three years in partnership with the private sector to produce advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation.
The initiative responds to a directive from President Obama issued in March as part of his Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future, the Administration’s framework for reducing dependence on foreign oil. Learn More
Posted by Joanna Schroeder
The biofuels industry got married when a first generation ethanol plant walked down the isle with a second generation algae plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. BioProcess Algae and Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) tied the knot and celebrated their anniversary last month with the announcement that their first babies, a set of Grower Harvester bioreactors, went online. This marked the last phase into adulthood – the algae plant is months away from commercial scale production. Learn More
By Joanna Schroeder
The state of Pennsylvania has awarded a $1.3 million grant to Accelergy Corporation to enable construction on their integrated coal-biomass-to-liquids (CBTL) facility to move forward. The CBTL plant is located at Intertek PARC, located at the U-PARC facility in Pittsburgh. Prior to this award, the company received a $175,000 grant for a feasibility study that included recommended site locations. Once completed, the pilot plant will prove out Accelergy’s coal to liquids technology and provide the base needed to move to commercial scale technologies. Learn More
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE) have jointly announced up to $30 million over four years that will support research and development in advanced biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value bio-based products. According to the joint statement, “The projects funded through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) will help create a diverse group of economically and environmentally sustainable sources of renewable biomass and increase the availability of alternative renewable fuels and bio-based products.” Learn More
Wall Street Journal – By Colleen Debaise
Companies that make everything from solar panels to renewable-crude oil continue to be big draws for funding from the venture-capital community.
But a company that rewards consumers for recycling led The Wall Street Journal’s second-annual ranking of venture-backed clean-tech companies. Learn More
By: Michael Wynne, 21st Secretary, U.S. Air Force
The president gets it. It is refreshing to see. Although I was Secretary of the U.S. Air Force under the Bush administration, Obama and I see eye-to-eye. As a very early, and sometimes lonely advocate for alternative fuels for the military and the rest of America, I am emboldened by his portfolio approach to the future of energy. Learn More
By: Jim Lane, Biofuels Digest
In Mexico, the Mexican government has announced its “Manhattan Project” with an initial goal of producing 1 percent of its jet fuel from algae by 2015, and OriginOil has agreed to participate in a pilot scale algae project funded by the Mexican government. Learn More
By Kris Bevill, Ethanol Producer Magazine
BioProcess Algae LLC has begun operating commercial-scale algae bioreactors at Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc.’s 65 MMgy ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. The project is a joint venture among GPRE, BioProcessH20 LLC, a division of Tennessee-based water filtration company Clarcor Inc., and international renewable energy investment group NTR plc. Learn More
By: Jim Lane, Biofuels Digest
One week ago, the RAND organization published a report assaying and critiquing the military efforts to develop advanced biofuels – in particular focusing on Fisher-Tropsch renewable fuels, fuels from algae and fuels from oilseed crops. Learn More