Biomass Week - February 28, 2014

House tax proposal would alter biofuel, bioenergy tax credits House Ways and Means Committee Chairman David Camp, R-Mich., has released draft legislation to reform federal tax code. The draft, titled the "Tax Reform Act of 2014," would alter, and in some cases repeal, tax incentives for biofuels and bioenergy. READ MORE SHARE
European Pellet Conference concludes in Wels, Austria The European Pellet Conference concluded on Thursday February 27, 2014 in Wels, Austria with a country by country market analysis moderated by the Executive Director of the Wood Pellet Association of Canada, Gordon Murray. READ MORE SHARE
	2 additional biomass companies win Army MATOC contracts The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, working with the Army Energy Initiative Task Force, has announced two additional biomass energy companies received Multiple Award Task Order Contracts. READ MORE SHARE
European Pellet Conference opens with bullish outlook The morning speakers at The European Pellet Conference all outlined continued strong growth for both global pellet demand and production. READ MORE SHARE
Carbon sequestration not so simple in biomass crop production Findings at the USDA are providing information about the soil carbon dynamics that play a crucial role in lifecycle assessments of bioenergy production. These studies at support the USDA priority of developing new new sources of bioenergy. READ MORE SHARE
Manitoba grants support coal-to-biomass conversions In order to help ease financial burdens of complying with Manitoba's petroleum coke and coal heating ban that went into effect Jan. 1, the province has provided grants to 16 farms working to make the transition. READ MORE SHARE
Chromatin announces production of farnesene in sorghum Chromatin Inc. has announced that it has created sorghum plants containing elevated levels of the energy-rich compound farnesene. The milestone achievement was supported in part by the U.S. DOE's ARPA-E program Plants Engineered To Replace Oil. READ MORE SHARE
DECC elects not to review FIT for AD this year Trade organizations serving the U.K. biogas industry have announced the U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has confirmed it will not review the feed-in tariff (FIT) for anaerobic digestion (AD) this year. READ MORE SHARE
GE launches Distributed Power business GE has announced the launch of a new Distributed Power business that combines the Aeroderivative Gas Turbine, Jenbacher Gas Engine and Waukesha Gas Engine product lines. The company will invest $1.4 billion over four years in the new business. READ MORE SHARE
New Holland provides tractors to ISU BioCentury Research Farm The loan of two tractors by New Holland Agriculture to Iowa State University's BioCentury Research Farm has provided new options for its biomass research projects. A model T8.330 and a T5.115 tractor with a loader were loaned to the facility. READ MORE SHARE
Viaspace tests grinding equipment for Nicaragua plant Viaspace Inc. has announced it conducted a full production-scale test of Giant King Grass grinding equipment on Feb. 18 at the Greenway Recycling Facility in Portland, Ore., using a stationary grinder manufactured by West Salem Machinery Co. READ MORE SHARE
Lignocellulose shown to have potential in bioplastic production Chemical building blocks from lignocellulosic feedstock form a huge potential for the production of bioplastics. More specifically, they have potential for biodegradable plastic polylactic acid (PLA). READ MORE SHARE
Duckweed genes left exposed for future biofuel research Greater Duckweed, which holds potential for biofuel production, had its genes analyzed by Rutgers University researchers. Although the plant is fairly small, it is ranked as one of the fastest growing plants. READ MORE SHARE
Solazyme reports fourth quarter and full year 2013 results Solazyme Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company, has announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2013. Solayzme CEO Jonathan Wolfson called 2013 a year of great progress for the company. READ MORE SHARE
Amyris reports reduced farnesene production costs in 2013 results Amyris Inc. has released its fourth quarter and full year 2013 financial results. The company reported total revenues of $41.12 million for the year, down from $73.69 million in 2012. READ MORE SHARE
Cool Planet breaks ground on commercial facility Cool Planet Energy Systems, a technology company producing green fuels and biochar products, has broken ground on the company's first commercial facility in Alexandria, La., dubbed Project Genesis. READ MORE SHARE
Study: EU waste could provide 16 percent of road fuel by 2030 According to a newly released study, if all sustainably available waste and residuals were converted to biofuels, it could supply up to 16 percent of the European Union's road fuel by 2030. READ MORE SHARE
Study finds transatlantic pellet trade results in GHG reductions A new study by the University of Georgia has determined that the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of a unit of electricity generated in the U.K. using imported wood pellets is at least 50 percent lower than fossil fuel-derived electricity. READ MORE SHARE
Mass. AD project breaks ground at existing landfill gas plant Construction has begun on an anaerobic digestion facility at the Crapo Hill Landfill in Dartmouth, Mass., the site of an existing landfill gas-to-energy plant. READ MORE SHARE