The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $8.8 million in funding to boost advanced biofuel production and assist in sustaining jobs at renewable energy facilities in 39 states. The funds, provided through USDA’s Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, tie in to several USDA programs also aimed at increasing advanced biofuel production including the Farm Bill’s bio-refinery program, the Green Fleet …
BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge Winner Is…
And the BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge Winner is…Smithtown High School located in St. James New York. The students beat their competitors with the winning infographic entitled, “Cellulosic Ethanol: Fueling the Future”. The student team won the Director’s Prize for Excellence in Content, Design and Social Media Promotion and have been invited to present their infographic during the Bioenergy Technololgies Office’s (BETO) …
ABFA Represents 9.6B Gallons of Biofuels Production
BIOX, Louis Dreyfus and The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) have joined the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA). With the new members, ABFA now represents 9.6 gallons of domestic and international biofuels production. “We are excited to add new members to our ranks and will continue to represent the advanced biofuels industry through highly effective advocacy and leadership on the issues …
U of Guelph Discovers Key to Increasing Biomass
University of Guelph researchers may have found the key to increasing food and fuel (#Biofuel) production. By modifying a plant’s genetic profile, researchers doubled the plant’s growth and increased seed production by more than 400 percent. The findings were published in the March 2016 issue of Plant Biotechnology Journal. Using Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant that has similar characteristics to …
#RFS Hearing Scheduled by EPA
Concerned about the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposed 2017 rules? The industry has a chance to voice them on June 9, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri at a public hearing on the “Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2017 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2018.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says those wishing to testify during the hearing must …
Cali #Biofuel Industry Calls for More Funding
As California continues down the highway of low carbon fuels, the state’s biofuel industry is calling for more funding to ensure the highway doesn’t end in the ocean. The biofuel industry, including the ethanol, biodiesel and biomethane trade associations, is calling on Governor Brown to allocate $210 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to help spur in-state production of …
IA Gov Signs #Biodiesel Incentive Legislation
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed SF 2309 into law this week, a bill expanding state biodiesel incentives. The bill includes a tax credit that assists the states 13 operational biodiesel producers remain competitive in the marketplace. The bill also includes a retailer’s credit that encourages fuel retailers to carry higher blends of biodiesel than they may currently offer consumers. Gov. …
Biodico Awarded Net Zero Farm CEC Grant
Biodico has received a $1.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to help fund its Zero Net Energy Farms project, which would enable farms to generate all electrical and heating power needs from on-site renewable resources. The monies were awarded under CEC’s Electric Program Investment Charge Challenge, a program designed to help develop advanced energy communities. Biodico is …
#USDA to Award $21M for Bioeconomy R&D
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made $21 million available to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products. The funds will also be awarded to train the next generation of bio-scientists. The monies are offered through the AFRI Sustainable Bioenergy and Bioproducts challenge area designed to provide renewable energy, chemical, and product options, among …
#Biodiesel Industry Calls 2018 RVO Shortsighted
The biodiesel industry is calling the required volumes of the advanced biofuels category under the Renewable Fuel Standard shortsighted in reaction to the EPA’s release of the 2018 RVO proposal. The amount of increase in biodiesel from 2017 to 2018 was a mere 100 million gallons. The Iowa Biodiesel Board is calling on the EPA to set volumes that more …