Biomass Week - March 8, 2013

Ky. biomass power bill signed into law Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has signed legislation into law that could make biomass power a more attractive option for utilities within the state by them to, under certain conditions, recover some costs associated with the purchase of biomass power. READ MORE SHARE
Biogas investment tax credit introduced Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and John Lewis, D-Ga., have introduced a bill that would provide qualifying biogas technologies with a 30 percent investment tax credit. READ MORE SHARE
	Bloomberg report outlines 2013 issues to watch Bloomberg New Energy Finance has published a white paper outlining eight issues it has identified as being central to the biofuels industry in 2013, including fuel mandates, cellulosic biofuel production, blending economics and politics. READ MORE SHARE
Minn. House Energy Policy committee addresses 2 biomass bills On March 4, the Minnesota House of Representatives Energy Policy committee held hearings for two biomass energy-related bills, H.F. 623 and H.F. 780. READ MORE SHARE
SkyNRG jet fuel supply chain earns RSB certification The RSB Services Foundation has announced that SkyNRG is the first biofuel operator worldwide to earn the RSB certification for their supply chain of renewable jet fuel including separation, blending and logistics. READ MORE SHARE
NREL develops faster, more precise biomass analysis tool A screening tool from the U.S. DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory eases and greatly quickens one of the thorniest tasks in the biofuels industry: determining cell wall chemistry to find plants with ideal genes. READ MORE SHARE
Dong Energy to expand biomass power generation, Inbicon plant Denmark-based Dong Energy has released its 2012 financial results, along with a business strategy through 2020. Notably, the company intends to increase the share of biomass from Danish power stations through the end of the decade. READ MORE SHARE
Researchers look to duckweed as biofuel feedstock The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green READ MORE SHARE
Biomass Secure Power secures location for La. pellet plant Biomass Power Louisiana, a subsidiary of Biomass Secure Power Inc., secured a six-month option to lease a site where it is proposing to build a new pellet plant. The plant is a four-phase project set to be completed over several years. READ MORE SHARE
Proposed ISU bioplastics center wins NSF planning grant The Biopolymers and Biocomposites Research Team at Iowa State University has received a National Science Foundation planning grant to develop a center at that will focus on bioplastics and biocomposites. READ MORE SHARE
Ind. biogas upgrading facility now operational Anaergia Inc. has announced that the biogas upgrading facility at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana is now operational. Anaergia designed, built and now operates the facility that converts biogas from cow manure into transportation fuel. READ MORE SHARE
Ballard system to provided biomass-generated hydrogen in Calif. Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of a 175 kW ClearGen distributed generation fuel cell system to the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe of Humboldt County, Calif. The fuel cell system will be integrated with a biomass gasifier. READ MORE SHARE
Millinocket Regional Hospital commissions biomass boiler Local and state officials joined officials from the Millinocket Regional Hospital in late February to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the commission of their wood pellet-powered steam boiler. READ MORE SHARE
Stoel Rives provides overview of proposed RIN integrity program Stoel Rives LLP has published a white paper that provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. EPA's proposed rules for a voluntary renewable identification number (RIN) integrity program. READ MORE SHARE
NASA begins flight research campaign using alternative jet fuel NASA researchers have begun a series of flights using the agency's DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of alternate biofuel on engine performance, emissions and aircraft-generated contrails at altitude. READ MORE SHARE
Plentex to focus on algae-based feed, high-value products Australian algae company Plentex Ltd. has released its financial results for the first half of its fiscal year. Chairman Peter Streader noted that the company is focused on producing a portfolio of products from both macroalgae and microalgae. READ MORE SHARE
Obama nominates Moniz as secretary of energy President Obama has nominated Ernie Moniz as Secretary of Energy. Moniz is a physics professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A nuclear physicist, Moniz has served as director of MIT's Energy Initiative. READ MORE SHARE
Obama nominates McCarthy to lead the EPA President Obama has nominated Gina McCarthy as U.S. EPA administrator. McCarthy currently serves as assistant administrator for the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. If confirmed, she would replace former Administrator Lisa Jackson. READ MORE SHARE