The State of Institutional Woody Biomass Facilities in the United States, a report just released by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, is available at www.usendowment.org. This report, based on research by Katie Premo, Endowment intern, and Kate MacFarland, USDA Forest Service (USFS) staff, fills the gap and points to the growth in use [...]
USDA Extends Agreement To Promote Renewable Fuels In The Aviation Industry
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is extending for five years its agreement to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other partners to help develop a viable biofuel for the aviation industry. The Secretary signed the agreement with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood at the Advanced Biofuels Summit at Gaylord National Harbor [...]
Northern Maine Hospital Gets Biomass Boiler
A northern Maine hospital has a new biomass boiler that will offset the need for 100,000 gallons of heating oil per year. An open house to show off the new boiler at Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent is scheduled for Monday. The new boiler utilizing local trees and other dead vegetation will help [...]
West Virginia University Part Of $10 Million Biofuels Project
The northeast could help lead the way to a renewable energy-based economy by using marginal agricultural land and reclaimed and abandoned mined land to grow energy crops such as perennial grasses and fast-growing woody plants. That’s the goal of a new research and education project drawing on West Virginia University expertise and supported by a [...]
Penn State University Awarded $10 Million To Develop Next-Generation Biofuels
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently awarded Pennsylvania State University a five-year research grant valued at roughly $10 million to develop biomass supply chains for the production of liquid transportation and aviation biofuels in the Northeast. This is the sixth such award made through USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), aimed at developing regional, renewable [...]
Aviation Biofuel Is A US$100 Billion Plus Business Opportunity
With jet fuel demand set to rise by 1600% by 2050 and key customers from KLM, Virgin Atlantic and the US Navy actively pursuing alternatives, the stage is set for innovative biotech and fuel companies to grab the alternative aviation fuel market. Just a few weeks ago, the DOD committed first phase funding of five [...]
SOU To Study Building A Biomass Cogeneration Plant
Southern Oregon University officials say a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the feasibility of a 1.2-megawatt woody-biomass cogeneration plant on the campus may lead to the real deal. Such a power plant could meet 100% of SOU’s electrical needs as well as 70% of its heating demand, they said. “SOU [...]
USDA Announces Support For Growth Of Renewable Feedstocks For Advanced Biofuels
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced payments for 125 advanced biofuel producers across the country to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels from a wide variety of non-food sources, including waste products. “Advanced biofuels are a key component of President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to reduce the Nation’s reliance on foreign oil and [...]
U.S. Forest Service Awards Nearly $4 Million For Renewable Wood Energy Projects
The U.S. Forest Service recently announced the award of nearly $4 million in grants for wood energy projects around the country to help expand regional economies and create new jobs. The grants, totaling $3.92 million, will be distributed to 20 small businesses, community groups and tribes to develop renewable energy projects that require engineering services. [...]
Forest Products Lab To Open First-Of-Its-Kind Pilot Plant
The Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis. this week opened a $1.7 million nanocellulose pilot plant that will help support the emerging market for wood-derived renewable materials. A grand-opening ceremony was held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the laboratory at 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, with presentations by officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and [...]