In Virginia, two Virginia Tech researchers have received a $1.4 million grant to investigate the genetic regulatory networks that will allow an important bioenergy crop to be bred so it will grow in less than ideal soils and climate. Populus, a genus of fast-growing trees commonly known as cottonwoods and aspens, is being grown for […]
In Minnesota, the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Polymers recently announced it has been awarded a $20 million grant over five years from the National Science Foundation focused on discoveries of the next generation of biobased plastics. The Center for Sustainable Polymers will be one of only eight NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation in […]
In California, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed “bionic liquids” from lignin and hemicellulose, two by-products of biofuel production from biorefineries. JBEI is a multi-institutional partnership led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) that was established by the DOE Office of Science to accelerate the development of […]
In Washington, the release of a new type of switchgrass specifically designed for bioenergy generation has been announced by USDA researchers and their partners. Agricultural Research Service scientists have spent decades working on different projects that contributed to the development of the cultivar “Liberty,” which can yield 8 tons of biomass per acre.
In the UK, a new white paper analyzing the legislative environment for renewable energy in the UK has been published by Dominic FitzPatrick, Head of Energy at the international law firm Taylor Wessing. The white paper was also recently featured in Clean Energy Pipeline’s Clean Energy UK Finance Guide 2014. The paper also contains content […]
In Malaysia, a research team from Universiti Teknologi MARA has embarked on a project related to gasification of biomass to produce clean producer gas. This gas mixture can be used as a fuel for internal combustion engines, turbine and fuel cell for power generation.
In Texas, a recent Texas A&M AgriLife Research study will be published in the BioEnergy Research journal, outlining how mesquite, growing in abundance in some regions of the southwest, could fit into the overall picture for bioenergy. The paper is based on the study, Economic and Greenhouse Gas Efficiency of Honey Mesquite Relative to Other […]
In Connecticut, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT), a non-profit economic development organization based in East Hartford, Conn., was awarded a Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) to work on Phase II of a project that will determine the feasibility of implementing an alternative fuels facility in rural north-central Connecticut. USDA Rural Development provided $53,000 […]
In Washington, the USDA has released a report that lays out methods for estimating changes in GHG emissions and carbon storage at a local scale for farm, ranch and forest managers. The methods in the report will be used to develop user-friendly tools for farmers, ranchers, forest landowners and other USDA stakeholders to help them […]
In California, research demonstrates that the rapid development of the biofuels sector will result in the industry having an increasingly powerful impact on food prices and food security, according to Rosamond Naylor at a symposium at Stanford University last week. “The main part of this that I think is so significant is the use of […]
