Biomass Week - April 25, 2014

Forest Service opens wood-to-energy funding opportunities The U.S. Forest has announced it is seeking proposals for two separate wood-to-energy funding opportunities, including the Hazardous Fuels Wood-to-Energy (W2E) Grant program and the Statewide Wood Energy Team cooperative agreement program. READ MORE SHARE
DECC finalizes early CfDs, Drax challenges subsidy change The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change is offering investment contracts to eight renewable energy project, including three biomass projects. The government cut subsidy to one of two Drax projects, a decision that Drax is challenging. READ MORE SHARE
	EPA reduces the 2013 cellulosic RFS to reflect actual production The U.S. EPA has taken action to revise the 2013 cellulosic biofuel requirements under the renewable fuels standard (RFS) to 810,185 ethanol-equivalent gallons, the volume for which cellulosic RINs were generated in 2013. READ MORE SHARE
DOE announces draft solicitation for Section 1703 loan guarantees The U.S. DOE has announced its intent to offer up to $4 billion in Section 1703 loan guarantees to support a wide variety of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Public comments are being accepted on the scope of the final solicitation. READ MORE SHARE
Proposed Neb. plant to produce biomass fuel, bioenergy A proposed project under development by Southwest Renewable Resources aims to develop a unique biomass fuel production facility and up to 25 MW of bioenergy capacity in South Sioux City, Neb. READ MORE SHARE
Biodigester turns campus waste into campus energy at UC Davis On Earth Day, the University of California, Davis and Sacramento-based technology partner CleanWorld officially unveiled the UC Davis Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester (READ) at the campus' former landfill. READ MORE SHARE
New ISO wood pellet standards published; safety effort begins The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for solid biomass fuels will be available for purchase in the next week in the ISO store. READ MORE SHARE
Viridis Energy lands grant, new equipment to draw fuel suppliers The Nova Scotia government has awarded Viridis Energy with a CA$517,500 ($469,000) grant to purchase new equipment at the company's pellet manufacturing subsidiary, Scotia Atlantic Biomass Company Ltd., in Middle Musquoboit, Nova Scotia. READ MORE SHARE
Comment period on SBP biomass standards closes April 25 A comment period on five draft biomass standards developed by the Sustainable Biomass Partnership closes on April 25. The standards make up the SBP's Biomass Assurance Framework. North American pellet producers are encouraged to comment. READ MORE SHARE
Waste Management releases Q1 earnings information Waste Management Inc. announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2014, which highlighted a 1.8 percent, or $60 million, revenue growth. The company's waste-to-energy operations were briefly highlighted during the announcement. READ MORE SHARE
North American wood pellet exports to Europe double in 2 years Wood pellet exports from North America to Europe have doubled in two years to reach 4.7 million tons in 2013 with the U.S. South accounting for 63 percent of the volume, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. READ MORE SHARE
NexSteppe sells its Palo Alto high biomass sorghum in Brazil NexSteppe recently announced that it sold more than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of its Palo Alto high biomass sorghums for biopower in Brazil this past growing season. The feedstock can be used alongside bagasse to provide renewable power. READ MORE SHARE
Proterro reaches sugar-making milestones Proterro CEO Kef Kasdin recently reported that his company reached its Q1 sugar-production pilot milestones. "While sugar production has begun at low levels, it has been controllable," he said. READ MORE SHARE
Thermogen loan guarantee reduced, developers still committed The Finance Authority of Maine has approved a $16 million taxable bond for Thermogen's black pellet project in Millinocket, Maine, reducing its initial commitment, approved in October, by $9 million. READ MORE SHARE
Bloomberg: global renewable investments down, but power share up While global investments in renewable energy technologies dropped in 2013, continuing a two-year trend, there are several silver linings to that observation, according to a new report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. READ MORE SHARE
Iowa cows generate electricity with help from Alliant Energy Iowa customers of Alliant Energy are getting some of their electricity from cows. The more than 2,400 head of cattle at Sievers Family Farms near Stockton, Iowa, are among the latest to start generating renewable energy in the state. READ MORE SHARE
Lufthansa to evaluate Gevo's renewable jet fuel Gevo Inc. recently announced that it has come to an agreement with Lufthansa to evaluate Gevo's renewable jet fuel with the goal of approving Gevo's alcohol-to-jet fuel (ATJ) for commercial aviation use. READ MORE SHARE
Siegenthaler, BTEC, and HeatSpring launch biomass design course Hydronics expert John Siegenthaler, the Biomass Thermal Energy Council and HeatSpring have teamed up to launch a 10-week online course, titled "Hydronic-Based Biomass Design." READ MORE SHARE
USDA researchers simplify pyrolysis for bio-oil production Innovations at the USDA are bringing researchers one step closer to developing "green" biofuel production systems farmers can use to meet on-farm energy needs, or to produce renewable fuels for commercial markets. READ MORE SHARE
Biofuel industry criticizes study on corn stover and soil carbon The biofuel industry is speaking out against a study completed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers that claims cellulosic biofuels actually generate more greenhouse gases than gasoline due to the impacts of crop residue removal from fields. READ MORE SHARE
Biofuel groups oppose Big Oil's requested delay in RFS challenge The American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers recently filed a motion to sever and hold in abeyance their legal challenge to the 2013 renewable fuel standard. Biofuel groups are opposing the move. READ MORE SHARE
OilRigged campaign launches on Earth Day to defend biofuels The Fuels America coalition has launched a new advertising campaign dubbed "Oil Rigged" on Earth Day to counter what biofuels industry leaders called Big Oil's deliberate campaign to distort the facts. READ MORE SHARE
Alternative financing options subject of Calif. workshop The California Energy Commission conducted a workshop aimed at alternative financing options and strategies to support the development and implementation of transportation technologies which reduces greenhouse gas and criteria emissions. READ MORE SHARE
UK funds projects to generate bioenergy from wetlands biomass Three British companies have been awarded a share of over GBP 1.3 million ($2.19 million) to spur on innovation in turning reeds and rushes from wetlands into bioenergy, U.K. Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker announced April 17. READ MORE SHARE