Legislators have passed the "fiscal cliff bill," which extended the farm bill through Sept. 30 and several biofuel-related tax incentives through 2013. However, all mandatory funding for energy title programs was eliminated at the last moment.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced $250 million in funding for biomass-based electricity generation projects and other renewable energy installations as part of the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS).
The Placer County Planning Commission has voted to approved a conditional use permit for the 2 MW Cabin Creek Biomass Facility and certify the environmental impact report for the proposed plant. The facility will be located near Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Georgia-based torrefied pellet developer, Vega Biofuels, has announced plans to ship samples to European power companies for testing by the end of January. The company first announced its plans to ship torrefied pellets to Europe in March.
A series of articles published as a special issue on biofuels by the Forest Products Journal highlights the relative impact of 15 different uses of biofuels on reducing CO2 emissions and increasing energy independence.
Researchers at Clemson University's Pee Dee Research and Education Center and ArborGen Inc. have collaborated to plant thousands of poplars at the Pee Dee center to determine if certain varieties of the tree are suitable for bioenergy stock.
U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has announced she will resign following President Obama's State of the Union address, which is scheduled for Jan. 24. Jackson did not cite a reason for her departure.
The Biomass Thermal Energy Council has named its Biomass Thermal Champion of 2012, and the award goes to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., for her leadership on advocating for the inclusion and parity of biomass thermal energy in federal programs.
The U.K. Department of Energy & Climate Change has announced a 400 MW non-legislative cap on the total new build dedicated biomass generating capacity that can expect to be supported at 1.5 Renewable Obligation Certificates per MWh.
Under contract with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Harris Group has completed a comprehensive review of biomass gasifier technologies, titled "Biomass Gasification Technology Assessment."
The Sequoia Foundation has released an independent health impact assessment (HIA) for the proposed 2 MW Cabin Creek Biomass Energy Facility near Lake Tahoe, Calif. The county will consider the plant's minor use permit on Dec. 20.
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber believes energy is the issue of our time, and to address the issue, he has released a 10-year Energy Action Plan. The 48-page plan includes a recommendation section on bioenergy and biomass-based thermal energy development.
Drax Biomass International Inc. a development and operating company focused on manufacturing wood pellets for renewable, low-carbon power generation from sustainable biomass, has announced its plans for three projects in the Gulf region.
The U.K. has committed to sourcing 15 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020, and biomass is expected to pay a crucial role in this goal by delivering low carbon sources of heat, power and liquid fuels.
Two biogas plants have recently been completed in Washington and California. Both will generate electricity to power onsite operations, but the California facility will also produce a liquid transportation fuel to power a truck fleet.
Patriot Bioenergy Corp. joined the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association and sees value in industrial hemp for biomass blending with bituminous coal for power generation as well as a possible cellulosic feedstock for biofuels.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced $10 million in research grants to spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs.
A Savannah, Ga., export terminal once used for the export of the paper industry product kaolin clay, will now give Enova Wood Pellet Group LLC a 1.35 million metric ton per year wood pellet export capacity at a single port.
The World Bioenergy Association released a new biomass fact sheet at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December. The document asserts that theories on carbon debt and "payback time" of biomass are not credible.
The government of Nova Scotia has sold a 30 MW biomass-fired cogeneration facility to Emera Inc. for $25 million. The Brooklyn Energy facility was recently purchased by the government as a part of a larger deal with Resolute Forest Products.
A vessel with nearly 20,000 tons of wood pellets was discharged at Wismar seaport the week of Dec. 3, according to wood pellet manufacturer German Pellets.
On Dec. 6, the U.S. Air Force announced it entered into a license agreement with New Generation Biomass, LLC, Oct. 16 to explore development of a biomass renewable energy generation facility at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.
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