Job growth in the biofuels sector continued last year, according to the 2019 Clean Jobs America analysis of energy jobs data by the national nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs). The report found that nearly every U.S. state saw an increase in clean energy jobs in 2018, combining to add about 110,000 net new jobs for a growth rate of …
Purdue Tackles Biorefinery Blockage Issues
A team led by Purdue University scientists is receiving a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to solve the problem of biomass flow for biorefineries. Lignocellulosic biomass, often made up of materials such as corn stover and soybean hulls, often accumulates and compacts while moving through augers, forcing costly shutdowns for cleaning and repairs. …
Corn Stover Could Generate Electricity
Two new studies show that generating energy from corn stover biomass could create a new market for farmers and increase the value of ethanol by reducing its overall carbon footprint. The studies are based on the premise that the crop residue left behind in the fields after corn to be used for ethanol is harvested. Iowa-based Regional Strategic, Ltd. examined …
Iowa Energy Plan Unveiled
Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds today unveiled the Iowa Energy Plan, which “assesses current and future energy supply and demand, examines energy policies and programs and identifies emerging challenges and opportunities.” “Iowa is a leader in biofuels and renewable energy,” said Lt. Governor Reynolds. “That leadership was achieved because of thoughtful planning. Creating a statewide energy plan will keep Iowa …
Sweden Releases Climate Roadmap 2050
Sweden has unveiled its Climate Roadmap – the country’s plan to help meet the EU initiative Roadmap 2050 for climate, transportation and energy. One key area to meet these goals, finds the plan, is the bio-based economy. For Sweden, its forest and forestry sector will play a major role in this emerging bio-based economy through more sustainable forest management, its …
#Algae Food & Fuel Can Reduce GHG Emissions
New research has found that using microalgae to produce food and biofuel can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study was led by Michael J. Walsh, a research fellow in Bentley University’s Center for Integration of Science and Industry, and found that algal food and fuel coproduction can help to improve both land and water-use efficiency while reducing GHG …
Research Develops Cold Tolerant #Bioenergy Grass
University of Illinois agronomist D.K. Lee has developed a bioenergy grass that is tolerant to freezing. Current bioenergy crops such as Miscanthus and switchgrass grown in the Midwest are prone to freezing. When Lee discovered one morning in Mid-April that the only grass not frozen was prairie cordgrass he and his team began to research what molecular changes keep cordgrass, …
USDA Releases $1.5M in BCAP for #Biomass Harvesting
Farmers and others who harvest biomass crops for renewable energy will have access to $1.5 million in FY2017 under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The total funds available under the program for 2017 is $3 million with the other $1.5 allocated to growers who establish or maintain biomass crops to be used specifically for energy or biobased products. “USDA …
Researchers Turning Waste Into Wealth
EPFL chemists have discovered that adding formaldehyde to lignin could turn waste, such as he molecules found in wood, into wealth. Biomass may hold a key to meeting future energy needs – it’s sugars can be turned into biofuels and other bioproducts. But until now a barrier to efficient production has been the plant’s lignin. Scientists have now turned the …
Ames Lab to Develop Imaging to Study Plant Walls
The saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is being put to the test with research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to deconstruct plant cell walls as a means of learning how to more effectively convert plant material into bioenergy. The project has been awarded $1 million per year for three years. The research will …