It was a busy day in Washington yesterday as U.S. Secretary Steven Chu announced the issue of a final rule for the Loan Guarantee Program. The revised rule was designed to increase participation from private investors and banks as well as to support more innovative energy technologies. This announcement came on the same day that Chu released another $100 million …
DOE Announces Additonal $100M in ARPA-E Funding
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today an additional $100 million round of funding opportunities for transformational energy research projects that will be made available through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This announcement was made along side Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Conference. In a statement, Chu said, “I am pleased to announce ARPA-E’s …
Solayme Awarded $21.8 Million for Algal Fuel Project
Solazyme, Inc., which was just named the ‘Top 50 Hottest Company in Bioenegy‘ by Biofuels Digest, announced that it has received a $21.8 million federal grant to build its first integrated biorefinery in rural Riverside, Pennsylvania. The funding was announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and marks the next step in producing algal based fuel. Research conducted by …
Solazyme: Biofuels Digest’s Top Bioenergy Company
Biofuels Digest has announced its “Hottest 50 Companies in Bioenergy” for 2009/2010. The top of the list? Solazyme, a company specializing in developing renewable oils. The list is determined by a combination of a 75-member panel of international selectors and votes from Biofuels Digest subscribers, and is one of the most coveted by bioenergy companies. Last year, Solayme was ranked …
Thanksgiving Tweets for Farmers
Food, feed, fiber and fuel – American farmers do it all and today is a day to give a Thanksgiving tweet for all they do. On Twitter, many agriculture advocates are taking part in tweeting the hashtag #thankafarmer today from 10 am to 12 pm CST. Twitter users are also expressing their gratitude with a #thankafarmer twibbon. The twitter efforts …
Farm Bureau Pleased with Climate Bill Delay
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is pleased with a decision by Senate leadership last week to delay consideration of climate change legislation until the spring of 2010. During a recent interview before the delay was announced, AFBF president Bob Stallman said the agricultural organization opposed the climate change bill that was passed by the House, despite provisions included that …
Purdue to Test Biofuels for Aircraft
U.S. Air Force planes could soon be flying on biofuels, and that fuel will be tested at one of the Midwest’s premier universities. This press release from Purdue University says the school’s National Test Facility for Fuels and Propulsion is getting a $1.35 million grant from the U.S. Air Force. The facility at will be located at the Niswonger Aviation …
Biofuel Jet Fuel Picked as One of Pop Sci’s 100 Best
The world’s first jet fuel made from 100 percent renewable canola and soybean oil that has pushed a rocket to 20,000 feet has been picked as one of the top 100 innovations of the year. This press release from the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced …
Canadian Biofuelers to Ask for Bigger Mandates
Ethanol and biodiesel producers in Canada will ask their government early next year to increase the amount of the green fuels produced and added to fossil fuels… even as there are doubts the industry can meet current mandates and production incentives. Reuters reports that the industry has not decided what those levels should be: Canada has given annual incentives for …
New Venture to Finance Sorghum-to-Ethanol Projects
A new venture could provide up to $376 million for projects that will turn sweet sorghum into ethanol. DPG Investments, LLC (DPG) has announced its partnership with EPEC Biofuels Holdings, Inc. (EPEC) to put together a new platform finance company called EPEC Finance, LLC that will fund the manufacture and deployment of EPEC’s proprietary Ethanol Production Units (EPU’s) on select …