Biomass Week - April 15, 2016

Industry talks lows, highs, opportunities at biomass conference Low oil and power prices and a warm winter are the predominant reasons that it’s been a challenging year for every sector of the biomass industry. READ MORE SHARE
Thompson, Roeslein biogas project awarded at biomass conference Recipients of the annual industry awards—Excellence in Bioenergy and Groundbreaker of the Year—were announced at the 2016 International Biomass Conference & Expo, currently underway at the Charlotte Convention Center April 11-14. READ MORE SHARE
	Cellulosic ethanol plant planned for Spiritwood, N.D. The CEO and a founding partner of New Energy Investors met with North Dakota state officials April 12 to discuss a $150 million cellulosic ethanol plant the Pennsylvania company is proposing to build in Spiritwood, N.D. READ MORE SHARE
EPA approves Joule’s advanced biofuel pathway The U.S. EPA recently approved a renewable fuel pathway filed by Joule Unlimited Technologies Inc., allowing the company to generate D5 advanced biofuels renewable identification numbers for its algae-based ethanol under the renewable fuel standard. READ MORE SHARE
BPA commends EPA on substantive biomass workshop The Biomass Power Association has thanked the U.S. EPA for its April 7 workshop on the role of biomass in the Clean Power Plan. During the event, scientific and state policy experts testified on the essential role biomass will play for many states. READ MORE SHARE
EPA clarifies provision of RFS Quality Assurance Program rule The U.S. EPA recently announced it has finalized an amendment proposed last year that clarifies an aspect of the renewable fuels standard (RFS) program that was inadvertently put in place with the Quality Assurance Program rule. READ MORE SHARE
EIA updates short-term bioenergy forecasts in recent reports The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the April edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting total renewables used in the electric power sector will increase by 10 percent in 2016 and by 5.1 percent in 2017. READ MORE SHARE
ABFA advocates for maintaining biobased diesel blenders credit The Advanced Biofuel Association is among a group of organizations that recently sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee leadership expressing concern over proposed changes to the biodiesel and renewable diesel blenders tax credit. READ MORE SHARE
UK DECC releases provisional 2015 energy data The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has released provisional energy data for 2015, reporting renewable electricity generation reached 83.3 TWh last year, up 29 percent from 2014, with bioenergy up 28 percent. READ MORE SHARE
BTEC calls on biomass supporters to support BTU Act The Biomass Thermal Energy Council is asking biomass supporters to take action by contacting their elected legislators and asking them to support the inclusion of the Biomass Thermal Utilization Act in legislation being considered by the U.S. Senate. READ MORE SHARE
Inslee vetoes bill that would have benefited bioenergy Washington Gov. Jay Inslee recently vetoed legislation that would have benefited older biomass facilities by allowing those producing electricity through certain recent capital investments to generate renewable energy credits. READ MORE SHARE
NEOMA criticizes impact IESO’s new contract process on bioenergy North Eastern Ontario's municipalities are disappointed by Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator's announcement to reduce the total allocation from biomass power. READ MORE SHARE
USDA ARS: Algae enlisted to produce biofuel using papayas Algae are the star players in an effort by USDA scientists in Hilo, Hawaii, to produce a renewable source of oil for conversion into biodiesel to help meet the island state's energy needs. READ MORE SHARE
ORNL hosts Southeast bioenergy meeting, study tour Researchers and others interested in establishing a sustainable bioeconomy in the U.S. are taking part in a five-day study tour led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. READ MORE SHARE
Clearfleau commissions AD facility at UK creamery Clearfleau has announced it is commissioning an anaerobic digestion plant has been designed and built for Lake District Biogas. The facility, which is processing cheese waste, will feed biomethane into the gas grid. READ MORE SHARE
KLM launches new series of biofuel flights from Oslo to Amsterdam On March 31, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines launched a series of around 80 biofuel flights from Oslo to Amsterdam operated with an EMBRAER 190. The remaining flights will be operated over the forthcoming period of five to six weeks. READ MORE SHARE
ABO applauds introduction of carbon utilization amendment The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, applauded an amendment proposed April 12 by U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., that would provide tax credit support for carbon capture and utilization technologies. READ MORE SHARE
Vermont Public Service Board authorizes RNG project The Vermont Public Service Board has authorized the construction and operation of a biogas facility on a farm in Salisbury, Vermont. The project will produce pipeline-grade natural gas for sale to Middlebury College and Vermont Gas Systems. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo’s biobased jet fuel can now fuel commercial flights Gevo Inc., recently announced that ASTM International has now completed its process of approving the revision of ASTM D7566 to include alcohol-to-jet synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) derived from renewable isobutanol. READ MORE SHARE
Foresight reaches financial close on construction of AD plant U.K.-based Foresight Group has announced the investment of GBP 3.5 million ($5 million) from Foresight AD EIS Fund to construct an anaerobic digestion plant on the Mapledurham Estate, near Reading in Berkshire. READ MORE SHARE
University of Iowa, Iowa DNR agreement expands biofuel testing The University of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources have reached a landmark agreement that will help advance the UI’s renewable-energy goals while continuing to protect Iowa’s air quality. READ MORE SHARE
‘Algal Turf Scrubbers’ help clean Baltimore Harbor, fuel cars Energy Department-funded researchers are investigating how to mimic algae's absorb nutrients and produce oxygen, while at the same time, sustainably produce biomass for conversion to renewable biofuels and bioproducts. READ MORE SHARE
Fulcrum secures, delivers first biogas contract Fulcrum, the U.K.’s leading independent energy and utilities provider, has secured and delivered its first biogas contract since it entered the market, with the installation of a 1.3 kilometer (0.81 mile) gas pipeline. READ MORE SHARE
GE’s Distributed Power business signs supply agreement GE’s Distributed Power has signed a parts supply agreement with Nixon Energy Solutions to strengthen Nixon’s ability to ensure the long-term availability and reliability of 11 of GE’s Jenbacher gas engines that will power three landfill gas projects. READ MORE SHARE
Cool Planet partners with J.R. Simplot to distribute Cool Terra Cool Planet has announced a new distribution agreement with the J.R. Simplot Co. Simplot will serve as a distributor for Cool Terra throughout the Western United States and portions of the Midwest. READ MORE SHARE