The head of a company that is making energy out of algae wants lawmakers to ensure that their type of fuel is part of upcoming Cap and Trade legislation.
The president of Sapphire Energy, Cynthia J. Warner, testified today before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to encourage legislators to allow industries that produce carbon dioxide, such as coal-burning electric generators, to collect and transport their CO2 to companies like Sapphire Energy that make industrial waste and greenhouse gases (GHG) into low carbon gasoline, diesel and jet fuels:
“Sapphire Energy believes that the business opportunity presented by climate policy can be transformative as we enter this Green Era,” stated Warner. “By getting ahead of the curve, we can produce a new generation of transportation fuels for the world that are low-carbon, produced right here in the United States, and that generate renewed economic growth and new green-collar jobs.”
Sapphire Energy has successfully developed a process that with only sunlight and CO2 turns algae into fuels (gasoline, diesel and jet) that rival other alternatives. Sapphire’s Green Crude fuel not only fits into the current energy infrastructure as a complete drop-in replacement fuel, but it is scalable and can be grown on marginal desert lands in brackish or salt water, avoiding use of food crop lands. Most importantly, algae consume enormous amounts of CO2, drawn from both industrial and atmospheric sources, during its growth process.
“Sapphire’s algae-based fuels emit approximately two-thirds less CO2 than petroleum-based fuels at scale,” Warner explained. “When compared with conventional biofuels, such as corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, Sapphire’s Green Crude has significantly less than half their carbon impact, while delivering far greater energy density than either alternative.”
Warner says re-using the carbon dioxide to grow algae would remove that greenhouse gas from the environment and create a sustainable energy supply. Plus, she points out that over the next few years the algae industry will directly create approximately 11,700 jobs and another 30,000 jobs from indirect sources.
A new National Fuel Efficiency Policy was passed today adding to recent efforts to curb America’s dependence on foreign oil while spurring development in new clean transportation technologies that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions. This new policy, which sets the toughest fuel economy requirements in the country’s history, speeds up, by four years, the fuel economy standards that were passed in 2007 (CAFE).
A little more than a year ago, 
Officials in St. Paul, Minnesota believe a pilot project to grow algae at the city’s wastewater plant will clean the water before it’s pumped back into the Mississippi River and provide biomass for biofuels.
Lincoln said she introduced legislation to do the following:
Pacific Ethanol, Inc
Valero
In addition to the Valero investment, the company recently received $2 million in U.S. government appropriations towards a pilot plant it plans to open this summer in Springfield, Mass. This is one of several grants they have received from the U.S. Department of Energy. The company has also received funding from Venrock, Battery Ventures, BP, and Soros Fund Management.
Looking to take an eco-friendly vacation? Well, your resort options just got bigger with the announcement that 
The original public comment period was to end on May 21 and will now end on July 20. 
The Renewable Fuel Standard Improvement Act (H.R. 2409) was introduced by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK) along with a bipartisan group of 42 other members of Congress.
Lucas says the most important provision in the bill is the expansion of the acreage eligible to produce biomass feedstock. “This will ease pressure on the current corn production system and it will open the way for more rapid development of next generation ethanol,” he added.