New System, New Start For All Things RIN

By Luke Geiver and Holly Jessen

With all the changes to the renewable identification number (RIN) system, many have been scrambling to understand and comply.

2010 FEW Preview

By Holly Jessen

In June, the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW) returns to St. Louis, where its rich tradition of linking industry and innovation was born 26 years ago.

Cleening the Way to Energy Savings

By Holly Jessen

Using a dry ice blasting process, Freez-it-Cleen has saved ethanol plants an estimated $3 million in natural gas costs since 2008.

Tapping into BCAP

By Anna Austin

Traditional and cellulosic ethanol plants can qualify as biomass conversion facilities under the USDA's Biomass Crop Assistance Program.

Southern Discomfort

By Anna Austin

To date, 29 U.S. states and the nation's capitol have adapted renewable energy standards, and the possibility of a national mandate is looming. The Southeast, however, seems to be lagging behind the rest of the country in implementing renewable energy policies.

Possible Policy Change

By Lisa Gibson

The U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change is considering adjustments to its biomass policies in response to numerous concerns from developers including inability to secure funding and inadequate subsidies for cofiring facilities.

Facing the Vocal Opposition

By Lisa Gibson

As the biomass power industry grows, so do the organizations that seek to stop it. Opponents have been influential in postponing and even terminating plans for proposed plants, forcing developers to be more savvy in their pubic outreach.

Mitigation Mechanism

By Lisa Gibson

Using algae for carbon mitigation at power plants is gaining momentum but there is disagreement over whether it's the best or most efficient use of the resource.

Avant-Garde Agave

By Anna Austin

A group of researchers are touting agave, a plant traditionally used to produce tequila, as a revolutionary cellulosic ethanol feedstock.

Engineering the Perfect Algae Strain

By Nicholas Zeman

Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute is genetically modifying Chlamydomonas, an alga whose genome is already mapped out. Algae start-ups have scoured the earth for attractive-high-oil or fast-growing-breeds. But researchers applying the manipulative power of biotechnology, through which multiple desirable traits can be stacked in the same strain, intend to create that which nature did not.

Argentina: A Win-Win Situation

By John Kennedy

Despite being a late entrant to the world of biodiesel, Argentina has not only embraced the potential of this renewable energy, but also, through efficiency and innovation, is fast becoming a global standard-bearer for the sector. With growing demand in Europe and other countries such as China, as well as a vibrant domestic market, Argentina enjoys the best of both worlds, presenting huge opportunities for investors.

Leveraging SBIR to Advance Cellulosic Ethanol Innovation

By Phyl Speser

The U.S. DOE Small Business Innovation Research Program seeks to reduce the time to market for cellulosic ethanol by supporting innovative technologies.

Hedging Renewable Fuels: Managing Risk Without Destroying Value

By Randy Wilson, Brian O'neal, Evan Zuckert

The multiple commodities used in biofuel production introduce complexity and challenges to designing effective hedge programs.

Projecting Cropped Biomass Supplies: The Landowner Factor

By Dan Conable and Tim Volk

New York biomass study focuses on landowner choices and preferences in determining how much biomass can be grown and at what cost.

Biomass is Having a (Political) Moment

By Rob Goldberg

Biomass project developers can benefit by taking a closer look at the opportunities offered by the federal government in the cash grant program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and USDA's Biomass Crop Assistance Program.

IP Pitfalls in Talking With Others

By Richard B. Hoffman

This is the second part of a two-part series. The first part detailed several scenarios in which intellectual property rights problems can arise. The second part is about the basic laws that affect third-party disclosures and tips regarding such disclosures.

Understanding the Economic Drivers of Originating Biomass for Power Projects

By Scott McDermott

Participation in the emerging biomass-to-energy industry requires knowledge of the origination, logistic, storage and handling challenges involved with the various biomass resources.

Guidebook Supports Small-Scale Biomass Project Development in NY

By Mark Boustouler and Alison Reynolds

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has sponsored the production of a guidebook to assist developers of biomass-power projects that produce less than 10 megawatts.