Biomass Week - November 20, 2015

EPA addresses biomass in Clean Power Plan, plans workshop U.S. EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Janet McCabe has published a blog that addresses the potential role of biomass in the Clean Power Plan, and announced that the EPA will hold a workshop on the topic early next year. READ MORE SHARE
BPA comments to EPA on CPP The Biomass Power Association delivered testimony Nov. 19 on the Clean Power Plan to the U.S. EPA at its public hearing session in Washington, D.C. According to the BPA, it will also deliver more extensive written comments to EPA in January. READ MORE SHARE
	UK Energy Minister speech focuses on new gas, phasing out coal The U.K. government has announced plans to close all coal-fired stations by 2025. Although bioenergy was not specifically mentioned in the government's announcement, Drax notes moving away from coal presents a significant opportunity for biomass. READ MORE SHARE
Viridis focuses Q3 results on Scotia, Okanagan plant operations On Nov. 17, Viridis Energy Inc. released financial results for its nine months and third quarter ended Sept. 30, reporting a profitable quarter at Scotia Atlantic Biomass and progress on the Okanagan pellet mill improvement project. READ MORE SHARE
Kingdom BioFuel opens wood pellet mill in Pennsylvania Kingdom BioFuel prepares to open a first-of-its-kind wood pellet mill in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 12,000-ton-per-year wood pellet mill will provide local residents with an eco-friendly heating product throughout the coming winter. READ MORE SHARE
Senate votes to block EPA’s CPP, Obama announces intent to veto The U.S. Senate has voted in favor of two resolutions that aim to block the U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan. While the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to address its versions of the resolutions soon, President Obama plans to veto the measures. READ MORE SHARE
ITA announces app to help companies export clean energy solutions The International Trade Administration has announced a beta version of an interactive app to serve as a mobile business directory for U.S. clean energy exporters. Companies interested in participating are encouraged to contact the ITA. READ MORE SHARE
Bill aims to create tax incentives for renewable chemicals Sen Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., recently introduced legislation that aims to provide tax credits for the production of renewable chemicals and investments in renewable chemical production facilities. READ MORE SHARE
OPG’s biomass-converted stations positively contribute in Q3 OPG releases third quarter results, reporting increased earnings from its contracted generation portfolio segment due to the new hydroelectric units on the Lower Mattagami River and the conversion to biomass fuel at Atikokan and Thunder Bay. READ MORE SHARE
EPA sets 2016 cellulosic waiver credit prices at $1.33 The U.S. EPA has published a notice to its website announcing its cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price calculation for next year. The agency has set the CWC price for 2016 at $1.33. READ MORE SHARE
DOE biomass advisory committee schedules November meeting The U.S. Department of Energy has announced an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee is scheduled for Nov. 18-19. The event will be held in Emeryville, California. READ MORE SHARE
SD, VA projects receive USDA value-added grant funding Five bioenergy projects in two states were among the 258 businesses nationwide receiving a total of nearly $34 million from the USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant program. The grants were announced last week. READ MORE SHARE
EIA revises biomass forecast in short-term outlook The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook for November predicts total renewables used in the electric power sector will decrease by 2 percent this year. Power production from woody biomass is expected to increase in 2016. READ MORE SHARE
Fuels America launches new ad focused on the RFS On a press conference call Nov. 19, top executives from Fuels America announced the launch of a new ad campaign targeting President Obama and urging him to lead the world on climate by getting the renewable fuel standard (RFS) back on track. READ MORE SHARE
Sierra Energy selects Andy Egan as partner for California project Sierra Energy has selected Andy Egan Co. as its engineering and procurement partner for a project at Fort Hunter Liggett, a U.S. Army garrison in California. Andy Egan will aid in the design and fabrication of a FastOx gasification system. READ MORE SHARE
Renew Biomass, New Energy Farms announce partnership Renew Biomass and New Energy Farms recently announced their long-term partnership agreement in which New Energy Farms will provide Renew Biomass with high-quality Miscanthus planting material. READ MORE SHARE
Anellotech announces $7 million equity investment Anellotech recently announced it has received an equity investment of $7 million from a new strategic investor. The new multinational corporate investor joins existing partners, Axens, IFP Energies nouvelles , Johnson Matthey, and others. READ MORE SHARE
API announces first nanocellulose patent American Process Inc. recently announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent for its BioPlus nanocellulose technology. The patent covers an AVAP process for producing a nanocellulose material and downstream applications. READ MORE SHARE
DVO launches 2 digesters with Green Cow Power in Indiana Green Cow Power is now converting off-farm organic wastes and dairy manure into energy with two DVO Inc. Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow digesters. Located in Goshen, Indiana, it is the largest waste-to-energy facility in Elkhart County. READ MORE SHARE
Constellation, LA Sanitation begin construction on biogas plant Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp., and LA Sanitation recently announced the start of construction of a 25-MW biogas-fueled cogeneration plant, which will supply steam and electricity to LA Sanitation's Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant. READ MORE SHARE
Toyota to power Kentucky plant with landfill gas Toyota has announced its Georgetown, Kentucky, manufacturing plant will begin generating electricity from methane, a byproduct of trash decomposition at the nearby Central Kentucky Landfill, on Nov. 23. READ MORE SHARE
Pacific Ag announces completion of record wheat straw harvest Pacific Ag recently completed its largest harvest of wheat straw on record. Working closely with more than 200 growers across seven states, the company harvested more than 100,000 acres of wheat straw for use in end-markets. READ MORE SHARE
UNH, Yale researchers develop economic, green catalytic process Researchers at the University of New Haven and Yale University have discovered a high-quality catalytic process for converting biomass model compounds, which can be used to convert biomass into value-added chemicals, such as biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Sen. Shaheen, EPA Administrator McCarthy tour bioenergy project U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy recently joined company leadership at Lavalley Middleton Building Supply in Middleton and biomass stakeholders to discuss the federal initiative to reduce carbon emissions. READ MORE SHARE
Ener-G invests in 5 South African landfill gas power plants A consortium led by biogas expert Ener-G Systems is investing GBP 11 million ($16.72 million) in five landfill gas generation plants in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is the largest landfill gas-to-power project to be developed in the country. READ MORE SHARE