The USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service published a final rule for the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program on Dec. 27. The program provides quarterly payments to producers of eligible advanced biofuels.
The U.S. Forest Service has granted a license for technology that can efficiently fractionate lignocellulosic biomass to Ontario-based Whispering Green Energy. The company plans to begin experiments using the technology this spring.
A technology developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and scaled up by Vertimass LLC to convert ethanol into fuels suitable for aviation, shipping and other heavy-duty applications can be price-competitive with conventional fuels.
On Dec. 19, the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced up to $20 million in funding to develop technologies to quantify feedstock-related emissions at the field level.
President Trump signed two legislative packages into law on Dec. 20, avoiding another government shutdown. The packages include all 12 fiscal year 2020 funding bills and tax extenders legislation that will benefit biofuels and bioenergy.
The USDA's Rural Business Cooperative Service published a notice on Dec. 18 seeking applications from biofuel producers under the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels, which provides quarterly payments to producers of qualified advanced biofuels.
A novel oxygenate molecule that can be produced from biomass shows promise for use as a blend for diesel fuel, according to researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory who are part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Co-Optima initiative.
The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Dec. 19, reporting that six new SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2019, up from 10 petitions that had been filed as of Nov. 21.
A final rule released by the EPA on Dec. 19 includes a slight boost in the 2020 RFS cellulosic biofuel RVO. The rule also maintains EPA's much criticized proposed plan to account for future SREs—a move slammed by members of the biofuels industry.
IAC has partnered with Agra Industries to bring to market an enhanced line of equipment to handle the wet bucking, chopping of the harvested hemp, drying of the hemp, storage and shipping of the material in various stages for extraction.
A group of 1,726 biofuel supporters from 41 states sent a letter to President Trump on Dec. 17 urging him to restore markets for American farmers and biofuel producers by ensuring EPA's pending RFS rule fully accounts for biofuel demand lost to SREs.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 17 voted to pass two legislative packages that comprise all 12 fiscal year 2020 funding bills. The packages also include tax extenders legislation that extends several biofuel and bioenergy tax credits.
Delta has signed a long-term offtake agreement with Gevo Inc. under which the airline will purhcase 10 million gallons per year of advanced renewable fuels from Gevo. The sustainable aviaition fuel (SAF) is expected to be available between 2022-2023.
KLM has purchased sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for flights out of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The sustainable fuel is produced by Neste from used cooking oil and will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil kerosene.
Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council, recently parcipated in a breifing for U.S. Senate staff addressing the climate benefits of farm-based renewable energy and advanced biofuels.
Dan Brouillette was sworn in to serve as the 15th U.S. secretary of energy on Dec. 11. He was nominated to the post by President Trump on Nov. 7 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 2 by a vote of 70 to 15.
Dominion Energy and Vanguard Renewables announced Dec. 11 a more than $200 million, nationwide strategic partnership to convert methane from U.S. dairy farms into clean, RNG that can heat homes, power businesses and fuel vehicles.
The EPA delivered a final rule regarding the RFS to the White House OMB on Dec. 6. The final rule includes the 2020 RFS RVOs, the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel, and and the agency's plan to address future SREs.
A move towards a more sustainable biobased economy has been given a new boost by researchers who have been able to simplify a process to transform waste materials into high value chemicals, according to the University of Manchester.
The RNG Coalition has launched the Sustainable Methane Abatement and Recycling Timeline (SMART) Initiative, under which RNG stakeholders aim to develop an action to plan to capture and use methane more than than 43,000 North American sites by 2050.
U.S. Gain announced Dec. 3 it has reached an agreement to purchase dairy-based RNG from Brightmark Energy, which earlier this year announced its investment in biogas projects at dairy farms in Wisconsin, Washington and New York.
The Green Aviation Research and Development Network, SkyNRG, Waterfall Group and Vancouver Airport Authority on Nov. 26 announced the launch of BioPortYVR, an industry-led project to increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas commenced the North American renewable natural gas (RNG) industry's annual conference program on Dec. 3 by celebrating industry growth and recognizing 13 companies for their RNG projects.
The U.S. Senate voted 70-15 on Dec. 2 to confirm Dan Brouillette as energy secretary following his Nov. 7 nomination by President Trump. Brouillette previously served as deputy energy secretary under former Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
Members of the international biogas industry on Dec. 3 announced the launch of the Integrated Biogas Alliance, an innovative global partnership that will offer state-of-the-art, turnkey technology solutions for converting organic waste into energy.
U.S. Gain has announced the purchase of anaerobic digesters at two Wisconsin dairy farms, S&S Jerseyland Dairy LLC and Dallmann East River Dairy LLC, to expedite RNG development for the transportation and energy markets.
The public comment period of U.S. EPA's supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that addresses the agency's plan to reallocate future RFS volumes lost to SREs closed Nov. 29. More than 11,700 comments were filed on the proposal.
Straus Family Creamery has announced a collaboration with the BMW Group. Under the Low Carbon Fuel Stndard, the two companies are using biogas to create electricity that can charge BMW's electric vehicles.
The U.S. EPA has released renewable identification number (RIN) generation data for October, reporting that 1.72 billion RINs were generated during the month, including nearly 33.07 million cellulosic RINs.
LanzaTech announced it is continuing to make strides in scaling up its alcohol to jet (ATJ) platform. The company said it negotiating with DOE for a $14 million investment in a demonstration-scale integrated biorefinery in Soperton, Georgia.
Advertisement