Tag Archives: united-states
USDA Announces A Notice of Contract Proposals to Support Advanced Biofuels Production
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2013 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of up to $98.6 million to support the production of advanced biofuels, and an opportunity for eligible producers to submit applications. USDA remains focused on carrying out its mission, despite a time of significant budget uncertainty. Today’s announcement is one part of the Department’s efforts to strengthen the rural economy. “The United States is on the path to a cleaner, more secure energy future,” Vilsack said. “By helping producers to support and expand the production of advanced biofuels, USDA is ensuring that Rural America is a key component of President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to reduce the Nation’s reliance on foreign oil.” The payments are provided through USDA Rural Development’s Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels, commonly referred to as the Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. It was established in the 2008 Farm Bill to support the expansion of advanced biofuel production. Payments are made to eligible producers based on the amount of biofuel produced from renewable biomass, other than corn kernel starch. Examples of eligible feedstocks include crop residue; animal, food and yard waste; vegetable oils; and animal fat. Through the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels and other programs, USDA is working to support the research, investment and infrastructure necessary to build a biofuels industry that creates jobs and produces renewable fuel. Since 2009, more than 275 eligible producers in 44 states have received payments. Producers use the payments to offset production costs and in some instances expand their operations. For example, in 2012, Sequential-Pacific Biodiesel, a biodiesel facility based in Salem, Ore., increased its annual production by approximately 1 million gallons, or about 20 percent. Sequential-Pacific primarily uses locally sourced waste vegetable oils in its production of biodiesel. The support USDA Rural Development provided through its Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels helped the company buy equipment that increased the speed of production and pre-treatment of feedstock. Producers who did not apply for payments during the October 2012 application window may now apply for payments for third and fourth quarter fiscal year 2013 production as well as for any applicable incremental production. Applications received by July 11, 2013 will be considered for Fiscal Year 2013 funds. Complete details on how to apply and on available funding are found on Page 34975 of the June 11 Federal Register, http://www.gpo.gov/f…/2013-13778.pdf . President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values. President Obama and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack are committed to a smarter use of Federal resources to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities. USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. USDA has made a concerted effort to deliver results for the American people, even as USDA implements sequestration – the across-the-board budget reductions mandated under terms of the Budget Control Act. USDA has already undertaken historic efforts since 2009 to save more than $828 million in taxpayer funds through targeted, common-sense budget reductions. These reductions have put USDA in a better position to carry out its mission, while implementing sequester budget reductions in a fair manner that causes as little disruption as possible. # USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users). Last Date Modified: 06/11/2013 Continue reading
Switchgrass As Jet Fuel For Navy Fighters?
Switchgrass is on the forefront of biomass technology and it could be converted into jet fuel to power Navy planes and more. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), run by the Energy Department, is looking into ways that switchgrass could be used to fuel jets. To achieve this goal, the group has partnered with the U.S. Navy, Cobalt Technologies, and the Show Me Energy Cooperative. Producing jet fuel from biomass like switchgrass is not new. However, before jets start flying on fuel made from the grass, production would have to be both affordable and available in quantities large enough to make economic sense. “This can be an important step in the efforts to continue to displace petroleum by using biomass resources. We’re converting biomass into sugars for subsequent conversion to butanol and then to JP5 jet fuel,” Dan Schell, NREL manager for bioprocess integration research and development, said. The Department of Energy is funding four separate projects to find a renewable source of biomass that could be turned into fuel to power both land vehicles and airplanes. Switchgrass is a wild grass that grows in all latitudes of the United States and Mexico, but is found primarily in the prairies. If this wild grass could be successfully used for the production of jet fuel in the large-enough quantities, it would provide a green alternative to fossil fuels, and would not require the use of a food stock like corn. Producing jet fuel from switchgrass would produce 95 percent less greenhouse gases than refining fossil fuels. The grass is collected by the Show Me Energy Cooperative, and then converted into sugars at the NREL through the use of enzymes, after pre-treating with a weak acid. The sugars are then fed into fermenters built by Cobalt Technologies with a capacity of nearly 2,400 gallons. There, they are converted into butyl alcohol (butanol) through the action of microorganisms. Using Navy know-how and catalysts, the alcohol is converted into jet fuel back at NREL. Switchgrass grows throughout Kentucky, where it is also being studied for use as an alternative fuel, if only as biomass to be directly burned. There, researchers from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture have had some success in using the grass to produce green energy. “We learned a whole lot and found some useful applications for the forage until a consistent biomass market develops,” Ray Smith, University of Kentucky extension forage specialist, said. Interest in the grass from the Navy could be the market for which Smith is looking. If tests are successful, the Departments of Defense and Agriculture will assist companies who wish to produce the greener fuel. Continue reading
Greener Pastures For Biopower
June 10, 2013 By Mackinnon Lawrence, principal research analyst, Navigant Research Recent data released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) paints a cloudy picture for electricity produced from biomass — or biopower — in the United States. According to EIA, total net electricity generation from wood biomass reached 37.54 TWh in 2012, increasing less than 0.2 percent over 2011 totals (37.45 TWh). Relative to wood biomass production, electricity produced from waste biomass jumped to 20.03 TWh in 2012, representing a 4.2 percent increase over 2011 totals (19.22 TWh). Both segments trail growth rates observed among competing renewable technologies like wind and solar. Installed biopower capacity across Europe is nearly four times that of the U.S. and, according to Navigant Research forecasts, electricity generation from biomass in the region is expected to reach nearly 300 TWh by 2020 under an aggressive scenario. Sluggish expansion in the U.S. belies biopower’s potential as a renewable source of baseload power production. Dedicated large-scale facilities — defined as power stations with installed capacity in excess of 50 MW — for a time, were hailed as potential cornerstone players in emerging renewable energy portfolios. Using either wood biomass or the biogenic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW), these facilities have substantial potential. Waiting for Harvest Proponents point to a range of potential biomass sources across the country that could support broader scale-up efforts. The thinning of forests across the Western U.S. produces an abundance of fuel while reducing the threat of wildfires, a danger that has ravaged many Western states in recent years. Pine beetle infestation across the Rocky Mountain region has led to efforts to identify potential markets for millions of acres of dead timber. ______________________________ The biopower industry must galvanize support in Washington despite a checkered public image. ____ _______________________ Despite the availability of this fuel at no cost, save for the expense of aggregating and collecting it, access has proven to be logistically challenging. Much of this biomass is located on federal land, which under existing federal regulations and protected by a complex patchwork of laws designed to support broader conservation efforts. The hard-to-harvest nature of these resources, which are scattered across millions of acres of variable terrain, also prevents their aggregation at a price point that can simultaneously pay for the service while also competing with incumbent fossil fuel resources. Beyond logistical challenges associated with feedstock aggregation, challenging economic conditions have also led to anemic growth in recent years. Shale gas, in particular, has emerged as a cheap and abundant source of fuel for baseload power generation across the U.S., and could serve as a bridge fuel for renewable power generation technologies, just as a slew of coal-fired plants are scheduled to sunset or shutter operations due to tightening emissions regulations under proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Meanwhile, the logistics associated with collecting, aggregating, transporting and processing biomass feedstock drive up the cost of biopower production considerably. Based on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s transparent levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) database, dedicated biopower facilities operations and maintenance (O&M) costs are on average 40 percent to 240 percent more expensive than natural gas. Project developers indicate that biopower facility economics decline rapidly once feedstock is sourced beyond 50 miles. Combined with a lack of 24/7 applications for heat c-produced at biopower facilities, the cost of unsubsidized electricity generation from biomass can be prohibitive. Greener Pastures While larger dedicated biopower facilities face significant headwinds, a number of biopower-related opportunities are beginning to materialize across the United States. Growing demand for biomass that has been compressed, or “densified” to support aggressive bioenergy targets across the European Union, is driving a boom in the pellet production capacity in the U.S. Southeast. Unlike the Western U.S., much of this forest cover sits on private land and is already harvested for commercial purposes by a well-established lumber industry. Supporting biopower stations of more than 100 MW across the European Union, European utilities such as RWE and Drax have vertically integrated their operations by owning and operating pellet production facilities in Georgia and Louisiana. United States pellet production is expected to expand from three million tons in 2009 to 10 million tons by 2015. Integrated biorefineries, which are primarily designed to produce advanced biofuels and biochemicals, represent a potential growth area for electricity production from biomass as well. First-of-a-kind facilities have recently commenced production providing electricity for onsite consumption and export to the grid. Under an optimistic scenario, Navigant Research forecasts that nearly 5 GW of new cogeneration capacity at biorefineries could come online by 2020 in the United States. This represents an eleven-fold expansion over installed generation capacity in 2012 (465 MW). To realize potential growth in these segments, the biopower industry must galvanize support in Washington despite a checkered public image. Scrutiny over emissions, sustainability, and deforestation has led to the cancellation of projects in several states and made policymakers reluctant to extend the incentives needed to support industry growth. Ultimately, biopower’s future in the U.S. remains promising, but for now the sector lacks the right mix of incentives and market signals to drive faster expansion. About the Author Mackinnon Lawrence is a principal research analyst contributing to Navigant Research’s Smart Energy practice, with a focus on advanced biofuels and bioenergy. Lawrence has extensive experience as an attorney, consultant, and analyst with deep expertise on topics ranging from environmental policy and international affairs to clean energy. Continue reading
