Biomass Week - March 14, 2018

Pinnacle to convert particle board facility to wood pellet plant Pinnacle Renewable Holdings Inc. has announced plans to redevelop an existing particle board facility in Smithers, British Columbia, to a wood pellet production facility. The project will be completed by Smithers Pellet Limited Partnership. READ MORE SHARE
Connecticut bill aims to create RPS for RNG Pending legislation in Connecticut aims to create a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requiring gas companies to ensure that renewable natural gas (RNG) comprises at least 5 percent of their output by 2033. READ MORE SHARE
	Bill aims to dismantle RFS, limit biofuel blending On March 8, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., introduced companion bills that aim to dismantle the Renewable Fuel Standard and sunset blending obligations for conventional, advanced, cellulosic, and biomass-based diesel fuels. READ MORE SHARE
Orsted increases the efficiency of Herning Power Station On March 5, Orsted broke ground on a project that aims to increase the efficiency of its Denmark-based Herning Power Station, a combined-heat-and-power facility that was converted to biomass fuel in 2009. READ MORE SHARE
Letter urges reauthorization of energy title in next Farm Bill On March 6, a group of more than 200 companies and trade associations sent a letter to House and Senate Agricultural Committee leaders urging them to reauthorize and fund energy title programs in the next Farm Bill. READ MORE SHARE
EIA revises short-term bioenergy, residential wood heat forecasts The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the March edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting that non-hydropower renewables will provide 10 percent of U.S. electricity generation in 2018 and nearly 11 percent in 2019. READ MORE SHARE
Stobart on track to deliver 2 million metric tons of biomass fuel On March 8, Stobart Group released preliminary financial results for 2017 and provided an update on the operations of its energy division, which supplies biomass fuel to power plants in Europe. Full results are expected to be released in May. READ MORE SHARE
NREL, NRCan partner on alternative fueling station locator tool The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has teamed up with Natural Resources Canada to create the Electric Charging and Alternative Fuelling Stations Locator, a Canadian version of the lab-developed Alternative Fueling Station Locator. READ MORE SHARE
Secretary Perdue administers oath of office to Bill Northey U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue administered the oath of office to Bill Northey March 7 at the Annual Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner. Northey previously served as Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, a position he had held for more than 11 years. READ MORE SHARE
British Columbia city converts organic waste into biofuel In British Columbia, Surry’s biofuel facility officially opened March 9 in the Port Kells industrial area. The $68 million facility is the first fully integrated closed-loop organic waste management system in North America. READ MORE SHARE
BPA welcomes new members Granite Shore Power, Veolia Granite Shore Power, the owner of the biomass power facility Schiller Station in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Veolia, a multinational firm with expertise in energy operations, technology and engineering, have joined the Biomass Power Association. READ MORE SHARE
NCGA: Consider Corn Challenge winners named Lygos, Annikki, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Vertimass, Sasya and South Dakotas State University were recently named as winners of the National Corn Grower Association's inaugural Consider Corn Challenge. READ MORE SHARE
Rockwell invests in Ecoremedy technology Rockwell Venture Capital recently announced an asset purchase of Ecoremedy, an innovative waste conversion technology that repurposes problematic municipal, agricultural, and industrial byproducts into renewable energy and recovered nutrients. READ MORE SHARE
Construction begins on facility producing MSW-derived fuel Accordant Energy LLC has announced its licensee, RePower South LLC, has begun construction of its first Advanced Recycling and recovery facility, which will utilize Accordant’s patented ReEngineered Feedstock technology. READ MORE SHARE
Scania engines being tested with raw untreated biogas In collaboration with Linköping-based energy recovery specialists Tekniska verken, Scania Engines is currently testing one of its engines using raw biogas that is not cleaned or upgraded to remove wastewater, carbon dioxide and other particles. READ MORE SHARE
NMSU collaborates on project to develop guayule, guar feedstocks Developing sustainable energy sources is a national quest of scientists in both the private industry and public university sector. Among these endeavors is the recently started Sustainable Bio-economy for Arid Regions project. READ MORE SHARE
Digestive ability of ancient insects may aid biofuel development The University of York has announced a study of the unusual digestive system of firebrats, an ancient group of insects, is providing new insights into future biofuel production. The insects are able to efficiently digest cellulose. READ MORE SHARE