BY USDA Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe USDA and U.S. Department of Energy have announced a memorandum of understanding to promote rural energy and the development of technologies that will support and advance rural and agricultural communities and domestic manufacturing. READ MORE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsU.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Oct. 17 announced plans to resign from his post, effective later this year. The White House has not yet announced a nominee to replace Perry following his departure. READ MORE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsVelocys announced plans Oct. 10 to capture and store carbon dioxide generated at its proposed Mississippi biorefinery, enabling the production of carbon-negative biofuel. The company also recently announced its technology will be deployed in Japan. READ MORE

BY Midwest Biomass Exchange Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsIndividuals and companies seeking outlets for selling agricultural residues have a new option at their fingertips. Access is available to a new web-based resource, called the Midwest Biomass Exchange, created and supported by the USDA Forest Service. READ MORE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.S. Department of Energy announced Oct. 1 it is awarding $73 million to 35 bioenergy research and development projects that aim to reduce the price of drop-in biofuels, lower the cost of biopower and enable the production of biomass products. READ MORE

BY Valmet Corp. Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsValmet is developing a pilot facility at its Fiber Technology Center in Sundsvall, Sweden, to strengthen its research and development capabilities related to bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals. The new pilot facility will start up in October 2020. READ MORE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe USDA published a final rule Sept. 23 that allows agency administrators additional flexibility to obligate federal funds associated with certain infrastructure projects, including those associated with several of its rural development programs. READ MORE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking public input on the U.S. bioeconomy in an effort to inform notable gaps and vulnerabilities and to identify areas in which the bioeconomy could benefit from government attention. READ MORE

BY The University of Missouri Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsMizzou Engineering’s Jianlin Cheng has put his world-class protein prediction skills to stellar use in the field of healthcare, and now, he’s part of a critical effort in bioenergy that could dramatically improve the prospects of biofuels. READ MORE

BY Total Corbion PLA Found In:ChemicalsTotal Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture between Total and Corbion, has inaugurated its 75,000 tons per year poly lactic acid (PLA) bioplastics plant in Rayong, Thailand. A grand opening celebration was help Sept. 9. READ MORE

BY Alberta Innovates Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsAlberta Innovates is contributing $1.5 million to a project that will use municipal organic waste to replenish soil at at an Alberta coal mine to grow a willow crop that may be used as a biomass feedstock for renewable energy. READ MORE

BY U.S. Department of Energy Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.S. Department of Energy announced Aug. 23 $13.5 million in funding for six projects to develop new approaches to microscopic imaging of plants and microbes, with the goal of advancing bioenergy research. READ MORE

BY U.S. Department of Energy Found In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe U.S. Department of Energy announced Aug. 21 $64 million in funding for 25 university-led genomics research projects on plants and microbes for bioenergy and bioproducts. The projects aim to improve features like drought resistance and crop yield. READ MORE

BY Erin VoegeleFound In:Pellets, Power, Thermal, Biogas, Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsThe Department of Energy’s Office of Efficiency and Renewable Energy is seeking public input on its EERE and Bioenergy Technologies Office research priorities, including those focused on corn fiber biofuel, food waste, data efforts and algae biomass. READ MORE

BY Rutgers University Found In:Advanced Fuels, ChemicalsResearchers at Rutgers University have found 10 species of red algae stole about 1 percent of their genes from bacteria to cope with toxic metals and salt stress in hot springs. The findings could help design algae that produce fuels or chemicals. READ MORE