Biofuels

USDA, EPA and DOE form Biofuels Interagency Working Group to increase energy independence

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2009) - President Obama issued a presidential directive today to Secretary Vilsack to aggressively accelerate the investment in and production of biofuels. On a conference call with Energy Secretary Stephen Chu and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Vilsack also announced that he will help lead an unprecedented interagency effort to increase America's energy independence and spur rural economic development.    » read more »

Agency must accurately account for total lifecycle emissions in final rule

May 5, 2009 -- A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft rule to cut global warming emissions from biofuels "is a good starting point," but the agency should adopt a realistic time frame for reducing heat-trapping emission from fuels, according to experts at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The rule, which the EPA announced today, provides various options to measure the amount of emissions biofuel crops produce. UCS experts say the agency's final rule should ensure that biofuels help reduce heat-trapping emissions in a timely manner. They also say the rule should complement other policies aimed at preventing the worst consequences of global warming.    » read more »

Departments of Agriculture and Energy, Environmental Protection Agency to Lead Efforts; Announcement Includes Biofuels Interagency Working Group, Recovery Act Funds for Biofuels Research and Commercialization, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Renewable Fuel Standard

May 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – President Obama today announced steps to further his Administration’s commitment to advance biofuels research and commercialization. Specifically, he signed a Presidential Directive establishing a Biofuels Interagency Working Group, announced additional Recovery Act funds for renewable fuel projects, and also announced his Administration's notice of a Proposed Rulemaking on the Renewable Fuel Standard.    » read more »

New green jobs a benefit of effort to end dependence on oil

May 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of the ongoing effort to increase the use of domestic renewable fuels, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced plans to provide $786.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate advanced biofuels research and development and to provide additional funding for commercial-scale biorefinery demonstration projects.    » read more »

Accounting for Biodiesel

April 22, 2009 -- Methyl Esters? No, it is not the name of the lead in a John Waters film, or of some gun-toting moll from 1940’s film noir. Methyl esters are more commonly known as biodiesel, a biomass-based fuel that is made from vegetable oils or animal fats. Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel. Biodiesel and blends can be used in most modern diesel engines or burned as heating fuel.    » read more »

Peer-Reviewed Science Indicates Link Between Biofuel Production and Deforestatoin, Other Land Use Change

BERKELEY (April 21, 2009) – More than 170 scientists and economists sent a letter (pdf) today to California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chairman Mary Nichols urging the board to account for biofuel pollution from indirect land use change—as well as from other major fuel emissions sources—under the state's proposed low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). Nearly all the 177 signers are independent experts in fields that directly relate to the issue, including climate, land use and economics. The signatories include nine members of the National Academies of Science and two Nobel laureates.    » read more »

April 10, 2009 -- UPTON, NY -- By creating a “family tree” of genes expressed in one form of woody plant and a less woody, herbaceous species, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have uncovered clues that may help them engineer plants more amenable to biofuel production. The study, published in the April 2009 issue of Plant Molecular Biology, also lays a foundation for understanding these genes’ evolutionary and structural properties and for a broader exploration of their roles in plant life.    » read more »

NextEra Energy Resources Announces Wind Expansion Plans with Total State Investment Exceeding $1 Billion

March 19, 2009 -- BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, along with Sens. Curtis Olafson and Robert Erbele, and Reps. David Monson and Michael Brandenburg, signed into law today Senate Bills 2031, 2032 and 2033, legislation that extends existing tax credits for wind energy development in North Dakota. The bills are part of a comprehensive renewable energy plan that legislators in both houses are working to fund to drive continued growth and investment in the state's renewable energy industry.    » read more »

3/13/2009 -- (HELENA) – Montana State University Northern has received a Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant of $990,312.50 to support and expand training activities at the Bio-Energy Innovation and Testing Center in Havre. The funds were awarded by the Montana Department of Commerce through Montana’s WIRED program and will be administered by the Montana Office of Higher Education.

“These funds will help train Montana students to meet the growing demand for diesel engine techs experienced in bio-fuels,” said Governor Brian Schweitzer. “The bio-based fuel, oil and additive industry is growing by leaps and bounds and MSU-Northern is helping Montana lead the nation.”    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- LANSING - Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) President and CEO James C. Epolito today announced that the MEDC will receive nearly $2.5 million in federal funding to build upon work launched through Michigan's Centers of Energy Excellence (COEE) program.

"The Centers of Energy Excellence program is a powerful tool in our mission to help break our nation's dependence on foreign oil and make Michigan a leader in the renewable energy sector," Granholm said. "Thanks to Senator Carl Levin and Senator Debbie Stabenow, as well as Representative Dale Kildee and Representative Bart Stupak; these critically needed funds will help advance our overall strategy to diversify our economy and create new jobs."    » read more »

Cobalt oxide nanocrystals can effectively be used to split water molecules, one of the half reactions critical to an artifical photosynthesis system for producing liquid fuels from sunlight.

March 10, 2009 -- Berkeley, CA - For millions of years, green plants have employed photosynthesis to capture energy from sunlight and convert it into electrochemical energy. A goal of scientists has been to develop an artificial version of photosynthesis that can be used to produce liquid fuels from carbon dioxide and water.    » read more »

Sierra Club, Worldwatch Institute Outline "Smart Choices for Biofuels" in New Report

February 18, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.-The Sierra Club and Worldwatch Institute today released a report, Smart Choices for Biofuels, highlighting the need for important policy reforms at this critical juncture in America's effort to increase the use of biofuels. The report outlines the economic and environmental impacts of first-generation biofuels such as corn ethanol, proposes strategies to make the biofuels industry more sustainable, and offers specific policy recommendations in four broad categories:

* Developing sustainability standards
* Advancing biofuels production and new technologies
* Creating green jobs through biofuels
* Promoting policy coherence across energy sectors    » read more »

UCS Says New Biofuel Product Likely to Contaminate Food Supply

February 13, 2009 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently closed the public comment period for its proposal to permit—for the first time—widespread cultivation of a food crop engineered for biofuel production. If authorized, the new ethanol corn would also be the first genetically engineered industrial crop destined to be planted on millions of acres annually. Grown at such an enormous scale, the ethanol corn would inevitably contaminate corn intended for the food and feed supply, exposing people to new engineered proteins that may pose an allergy risk.    » read more »

January 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $25 million in funding for research and development of technologies and processes to produce biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products, subject to annual appropriations.

“These projects will be among many Obama Administration investments that will help strengthen our economy and address the climate crisis. A robust biofuels industry – focused on the next generation of biofuels – is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing our addiction to foreign oil and putting Americans back to work,” said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.    » read more »

Jan. 29, 2009 -- HARRISBURG – New investments in innovative clean energy and biofuels projects announced today by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell will accelerate Pennsylvania’s drive toward energy independence, expand markets for emerging technologies, and ultimately make them more affordable for families and businesses.

The Governor said the state’s support for 49 projects will leverage nearly four times as much in private investment, create jobs, clean the environment, and save consumers tens of millions of dollars a year in energy costs.

He added that making these kinds of investments is critical to helping Pennsylvania weather a challenging national economic downturn.    » read more »