Biofuels

11/02/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today celebrated the opening of the world’s largest landfill gas to liquefied natural gas (LFG-to-LNG) facility in California, the Waste Management Altamont Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility in Livermore. The plant, put together by partners Waste Management, Linde-BOC and Gas Technology Institute, is designed to produce up to 13,000 gallons of LNG a day and is expected to reduce 30,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.    » read more »

GE to Showcase Jenbacher Biogas Engines that are Helping U.S. Dairy Farmers Generate Renewable Electricity from Cow Manure Methane

SYRACUSE, N.Y.--Thursday, October 29, 2009--With the country working to develop cleaner, alternative energy sources, the U.S. dairy industry with sponsorship from GE Energy is convening the New York Dairy Power Summit in Syracuse, N.Y., this week.

The summit brings together experts in dairy production, engineering, environmental science, financing, legislation and policy, and green energy business to accelerate opportunities for U.S. dairy farmers to use cow manure methane biogas to generate reliable, cost-effective renewable electricity.    » read more »

Scientists identify enzyme that could help grow biofuel crops in harsh environments

October 19, 2009 -- by J. Bryan Lowder -- UPTON, NY — Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified a novel enzyme responsible for the formation of suberin — the woody, waxy, cell-wall substance found in cork.

While effective at keeping wine inside a bottle, suberin’s most important function in plants is to control water and nutrient transportation and keep pathogens out. Adjusting the permeability of plant tissues by genetically manipulating the expression of this enzyme could lead to easier agricultural production of crops used for biofuels.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced that Connecticut will receive $20,061,000 from the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. The bill has been passed by the House and will now go to the President for his signature.

“This energy and water spending bill will provide important support to Connecticut’s waterways and energy researchers in the areas of fuel cells, bio-energy, and other alternative energy,” said Dodd. “These resources are an investment in Connecticut and our nation’s energy future, and will allow us to move away from our unhealthy dependence on foreign oil.”    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, and Congresswoman Betsy Markey announced today that Colorado State University's Sustainable Biofuels Development Center is on track to receive $500,000 in funding to help grow its efforts in research and development of sustainable techniques to produce biofuels at competitive costs.

The funding is included in the final Energy and Water appropriations bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 80-17. The House passed the bill earlier this month, where Markey supported the measure, and it now awaits the President's signature.    » read more »

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D–IA) lauded today’s unveiling of the Green Plains Renewable Energy Algae Project in Shenandoah. The project has been working on new technologies to grow algae for the purpose of producing biodiesel and feed for livestock.    » read more »

(WASHINGTON) - Congressman Chet Edwards announced that vital renewable energy research at Texas A&M University will be bolstered by federal funds he included in the final 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which passed the House today 308 to 114. Edwards is vice chair of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, and was a member of the House-Senate conference committee that wrote the final bill.    » read more »

August 31, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that up to $21 million will be made available for the selection of five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver high tonnage biomass feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels production. The awards announced today are part of the department’s ongoing efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, spur the creation of the domestic bio-industry and provide new jobs in many rural areas of the country.

“Biofuels will play an important role in America’s clean energy portfolio,” Secretary Chu said. “These projects will allow us to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, support the growth of the biofuels industry and create jobs here at home.”    » read more »

Secretary Chu Presents State $16 Million in ARRA Energy Funds

June 22, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Chet Culver said today that Iowa will continue to be a national leader in wind energy and biofuels, and the creation of ‘green collar jobs,’ thanks in part to the support of President Obama’s federal economic recovery program. U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu was in Des Moines today to present Iowa with $16 million in State Energy Program funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.    » read more »

HOUSTON, June 17 -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced the results of its Jan. 7, 2009, biofuel demonstration flight, which was conducted in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation/CFM International, and Honeywell's UOP. The biofuel blend performed as well as or better than traditional jet fuel, displaying an approximately 1.1 percent increase in fuel efficiency over traditional jet fuel in different stages of the demonstration flight.

Overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions related to using a biofuel of the nature used on the Continental demonstration flight are estimated to be reduced by 60 percent to 80 percent as compared to traditional jet fuel.    » read more »

Fuels derived from sustainable biomass sources meet aviation requirements

LE BOURGET, France, June 17 -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and a team from across the aviation industry today released high-level elements of a study that shows that sustainable biofuels analyzed in a series of pioneering test flights performed favorably in comparison to petroleum-based fuel.

According to the study, Evaluation of Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK), a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A. The testing included several commercial airplane engine types using blends of up to 50 percent petroleum-based Jet A/Jet A-1 fuel and 50 percent sustainable biofuels.    » read more »

Hearing Will Focus on Waxman-Markey Bill and Biofuel Emissions

WASHINGTON (June 11, 2009) – The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and nineteen other groups are urging Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) to ensure that the federal government uses all available science to determine the amount of heat-trapping emissions biofuels produce.    » read more »

Shell blends advanced biofuel into Shell V-Power gasoline race fuel at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race

11/06/2009 -- Shell is demonstrating its commitment to fuels innovation and the development of sustainable, low-carbon fuels with the blending of 10% cellulosic ethanol into its Shell V-Power race fuel at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, in France on 13 June, 2009.

This will be the first time an advanced biofuel has been used in the gasoline at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Cellulosic ethanol, as an end fuel, is identical to ethanol but it can offer up to 90% less lifecycle CO2 emissions than gasoline.

The biofuel is produced at Iogen Energy Corporation’s demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada. Iogen and Shell are partners in the plant.    » read more »

Shell first to sell gasoline blended with advanced biofuel

10/06/2009 -- From today, customers at a Shell service station will become the first in the world to fill their tanks with gasoline containing advanced biofuel made from wheat straw.

For one month starting June 10, the regular gasoline purchased at a Shell service station in Ottawa, Canada will contain 10% cellulosic ethanol. The biofuel is produced locally from non-food raw materials at Iogen Energy Corporation’s demonstration plant, using advanced conversion processes. Iogen and Shell are partners in the plant, which now produces 40,000 litres of fuel per month.    » read more »

Webb Calls on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Conduct Comprehensive Test of Ethanol Blend Impact

June 9, 2009 -- Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), along with 20 other Senators, today wrote to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to request more comprehensive testing on ethanol prior to raising the ratio that can be mixed into gasoline. The letter emphasizes that air quality and technical issues should be explored, as well as potential adverse effects on consumers and livestock and poultry producers during these hard economic times.

The letter was also sent to Steven Chu, Secretary of the Department of Energy; Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture; and Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.    » read more »