Biomass Week - July 13, 2012

Ag Committee passes Farm Bill, lacks mandatory energy title funds By a bipartisan vote of 35-11, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture has passed its version of the 2012 Farm Bill. An amendment to reinstate mandatory funding to the measure's energy title programs was rejected. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo, Beta Renewables sign joint development agreement Gevo Inc. has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Beta Renewables. Under the agreement, the two companies will work integrate their respective technologies for the production of cellulosic isobutanol. READ MORE SHARE
	Indian soybean operation to install biomass gasification plant India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to develop a 1 MW biomass gasification system. The 1 MW fluidized bed gasification plant is being established as a model investment project. READ MORE SHARE
UK fungus research to optimize biobased chemical production A European research team is working to integrate chemical engineering with genetic mapping techniques to improve the biochemical production process. the team will study the fungus strain A. niger, a micro-organism used in industrial fermentation. READ MORE SHARE
U.S. energy crops resisting drought so far While the drought in the U.S. is beginning to take a significant toll on some of the nation's crops, particularly in the Midwest and the Corn Belt, it seems most energy crops are hanging on, at least for now. READ MORE SHARE
Wis. program allocates $750,000 for biomass, biogas installations Wisconsin residents and businesses that install biogas or biomass-based technology can receive up to $250,000 through a newly formed renewable energy utilities program. The program, Focus on Energy, is accepting applications until August 29, 2012. READ MORE SHARE
Petroleum refiners, BIO respond to Navy biofuels initiatives Representatives of the petroleum industry are criticizing the U.S. DOD's plans to increase the use of biofuels, while BIO speaks out in support of the measures, noting that biofuels are a sensiblepath towards increased energy security. READ MORE SHARE
OriginOil ships first production system to Paris-based Ennesys OriginOil Inc. has shipped the first production model of its Algae ApplianceT harvester to Paris-based Ennesys, its urban algae joint venture. This marks the first commercial invoice for Origin Oil's newly-introduced Model 4. READ MORE SHARE