Bioenergy 2015: Two Days of Great Speakers, Sessions, and Networking—Don’t Miss It!

Get the latest and greatest information on biofuels and have the chance to network with peers, senior federal officials, and industry partners at Bioenergy 2015: Opportunities in a Changing Energy Landscape! You won’t want to miss this opportunity on June 23–24, in Washington, D.C.

At this year's event, you can pitch your bioenergy business ideas to a panel of experts, an idea inspired by ABC’s television series “Shark Tank.” You’ll get valuable feedback on your ideas—a great opportunity for startups!

After you register, maximize your networking potential with our popular Attendee Networking Tool.  Plan meetups for before, in between, and after the conference with other attendees who are using the tool.

View our agenda to read about the plenary and breakout sessions, and check out our speakers page to get an update on the latest confirmed speakers. Also, our co-host, the Clean Energy Research & Education Foundation (CEREF), can provide interested exhibitors and sponsors with details through the CEREF Web page or by emailing bioenergy@ceref.org.

Sustainable Transportation Day

In conjunction with Bioenergy 2015, join us for Sustainable Transportation Day, an afternoon on the grounds of the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., with BETO, the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, and the Vehicle Technologies Office. Mingle with federal staff, leadership, and stakeholders, and enjoy exhibits such as the Green Racing Simulator—a one-of-a-kind racing game that brings together sustainable transportation and arcade thrills. This event will be held on the afternoon of June 22, one day prior to Bioenergy 2015. More information will be made available soon.

Test Your Knowledge! Take the Bioenergy Quiz

We at BETO are excited to announce our first ever bioenergy quiz—an online, interactive tool that’s both enlightening and entertaining. How much do you know about bioenergy and how it displaces imported oil, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and creates jobs? Test your knowledge! Then share it with your family and friends, students and educators, to see how much they know!

Report Explains How Bioenergy Supports Global Sustainability Goals

According to a new international bioenergy report, informed management of bioenergy crops can reduce food insecurity, significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable energy production, and preserve biodiversity. The Bioenergy Technologies Office funded the work of several national laboratory researchers who contributed to the report. The Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment published the report as a global collaborative effort of 137 experts from 82 institutions and 24 countries.

Milestone Reached: Battelle Process Reduces Cost and Risk of Biofuel Production from Bio-Oil Upgrading

Scientists at Battelle reached a major project milestone to demonstrate at least 1,000 hours of bio-oil hydrotreatment on a single catalyst charge using this hydrotreatment system. Typically, it takes many catalysts to convert a bio-oil intermediate into biofuel, making the conversion process expensive, but this new process can substantially reduce the cost. Battelle’s next goal is to achieve 4,000 hours on a single catalyst charge, which would allow commercial operators to change out the catalyst only two times a year, reducing the cost and risks of biofuel production even further.

NREL’s Record-Setting Year Highlights Clean Energy Innovation and Commercialization at National Labs

Earlier this month, Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, presented the “Distinguished Innovator” award to Dr. Min Zhang from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for her outstanding work engineering advanced microbes to further the adoption of cellulosic biofuels. Join us in celebrating Dr. Zhang and all those helping to pave the way to a global clean energy economy.

Sustainability Webinar Recording Available

The recording of the BETO webinar “Biofuels for the Environment and Communities,” originally broadcast on April 22, 2015, is now available on the BETO Webinar Page.

Bioenergy Coloring Book Now Available in Spanish

¿Hablas español? The new bioenergy coloring book is now available in Spanish! Download it today from our website.

Join us at the BETO Program Management Review

BETO's 2015 Program Management Review will be held on June 25, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.  During this event, lead reviewers and members of the external steering committee from the 2015 Project Peer Review will present their feedback on BETO’s research portfolio and overall recommendations for the Office. Register today.

Upcoming BETO Workshop: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Workshop

BETO is hosting the one-day Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Workshop on July 16, 2015, in Westminster, Colorado. BETO is seeking to collect information from key industry, university, and national laboratory stakeholders on the challenges associated with the coproduction of biomass-derived chemicals and products alongside biofuels. More information will be made available soon.

Past and Upcoming Events with BETO Representation

• Iowa State University Energy Manufacturing Workshop; May 11; Jonathan Male; Broomfield, Colorado
• Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Sequestration Workshop; May 18; Zia Haq; Washington, D.C.
• International Energy Agency Bioenergy 2015; May 26–27; Alison Goss Eng; Växjö, Sweden
• Low Carbon Aviation Committee Meeting; June 3; Jonathan Male, Zia Haq; Washington, D.C.
• 5th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts; June 7–10; Jonathan Male; San Diego, California
• TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo 2015; June 14–17; Jonathan Male; National Harbor, Maryland
• Sustainable Transportation Day; June 22; Washington, D.C.
  
• Bioenergy 2015: Opportunities in a Changing Energy Landscape; June 23–24; Washington, D.C.
• Bioenergy Technologies Office Program Management Review; June 25; Washington, D.C.
• Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative Southeast Regional Summit; July 9; Atlanta, Georgia
• Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Workshop; July 16; Westminster, Colorado

To view past Monthly News Blasts, visit the BETO Newsletter page.