Bioenergy 2016 Is Almost Here! Great Speakers, Sessions, and Networking—Join Us!

Bioenergy 2016 is less than two weeks away! Register now! Join us and other bioenergy professionals in Washington, D.C., for Bioenergy 2016: Mobilizing the Bioeconomy through Innovation, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and partner, the Clean Energy Research & Education Foundation. This year’s event runs Tuesday–Thursday, July 12–14. We have an exciting lineup of congressional and industry speakers, as well as lively sessions that will focus on key issues in the bioeconomy. Check out our online speaker biographies to learn more about each speaker. 

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.

Arrive early to catch the Sustainable Transportation Summit before Bioenergy 2016 on July 11–12. This year's summit will highlight progress and achievements in sustainable transportation research and development and efforts to bring new technologies to market. Learn more about the summit in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) blog.

Watch the 2016 Billion-Ton Report Preview Video

Watch the 2016 Billion-Ton Report Preview Video to hear background and insights into the production and contents of the soon-to-be-released 2016 Billion-Ton Report. The report, jointly released by BETO and ORNL, concludes that the United States has the potential to sustainably produce at least one billion dry tons of non-food biomass resources annually by the year 2040. These renewable resources include agriculture, forestry, waste, and algae. They encompass currently available logging and crop residues as well as future available algae and dedicated energy crops—all useable for the production of biofuel, biopower, and bioproducts. The report will be released on July 12, at Bioenergy 2016, and will be available on the 2016 Billion-Ton Report web page.

Energy Department Requests Information on Revolutionary Biomass Supply Systems Supporting a Billion-Ton Bioeconomy Vision

Existing feedstock supply systems are not adequate to reliably provide high-quality feedstock at the increasing volumes demanded over the next few decades. New logistics and processing technologies and systems are needed to address these challenges to support a growing biomass-derived industry and bioeconomy. To help address these needs, BETO issued a Request for Information (RFI), seeking input to support the development of large-scale supply systems and technologies to eventually supply up to one billion dry tons of biomass feedstocks annually for a variety of end uses. Responses must be received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 30, 2016.

Announcing the Release of the 2016 National Algal Biofuels Technology Review

Since the publication of the Energy Department’s pivotal 2010 National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap, there have been major advancements in the field of algal biofuels research and development. Earlier this week, BETO Program Manager Alison Goss Eng announced the release of the 2016 National Algal Biofuels Technology Review, which captures these exciting achievements and articulates new challenges, lessons learned, and critical next steps. Significant updates to the report can be found in the “Algal Biomass, Genetics, and Development” chapter, focused on algal biology. Over the past six years, we have come a long way in our understanding of molecular toolboxes, genetic engineering and breeding, and translating achievement in the laboratory to outdoor cultivation environments. Learn more in the EERE blog.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Release Report on Reducing Global Carbon Aviation Emissions

Approximately 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions per year are from aviation. It is critical to address commercial aircraft CO₂ emissions due to the growth of commercial air travel, the amount of time it takes to develop the technology that will impact the aviation industry, and, ultimately, the continued global impact of CO₂ emissions. A committee organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which included BETO, released a report that focuses on reducing emissions in large planes that transport more than 100 people. These aircraft account for more than 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from all commercial aircraft.

Take a Tour of the Bioenergy Ecosystem in the Southeastern U.S.

Picture the diverse and productive bioenergy landscape of tomorrow where biomass feedstocks are produced sustainably alongside food and commodity crops. BETO works to envision a future sustainable, thriving bioenergy industry that protects natural resources and advances environmental, economic, and social benefits. To highlight innovations that support the deployment of a sustainable bioeconomy, BETO recently sponsored a five-day Bioenergy Study Tour of the southeastern United States, hosted by ORNL. Read more to learn more about sustainable bioenergy practices across the southeastern region.

Progress and Products from the Regional Feedstock Partnership Open Meeting

Join team leaders from the Regional Feedstock Partnership directly after Bioenergy 2016 for an open meeting to highlight the critical advances and valuable products resulting from this important partnership. The Regional Feedstock Partnership was established in 2007 by BETO and the Sun Grant Initiative to address information gaps on productivity and yield potential of key energy crops and related sources of biomass. This meeting will be open to the public and held directly after Bioenergy 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on July 14 from 1–5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Past and Upcoming Events with BETO Representation

• IEA Webinar: Green Gas; June 2, 2016; Online
• Awesome Con; June 3–5, 2016; Alison Goss Eng; Washington, D.C.
• Advanced Bioeconomy Feedstocks Conference; June 7–8; Jonathan Male, Alison Goss Eng, Sam Tagore; Miami, Florida
• Agile Biomanufacturing: The SynBio Foundry Vision Review; June 14; Arlington, Virginia
• 6th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts; June 26–29, 2016; San Diego, California
• Sustainable Transportation Summit; July 11–12, 2016; U.S. Department of Energy; Washington, D.C.
• Bioenergy 2016: Mobilizing the Bioeconomy through Innovation; July 12–14, 2016; Bioenergy Technologies Office; Washington, D.C.
• Progress and Products from the Regional Feedstock Partnership Meeting; July 14, 2016; Bioenergy Technologies Office; Washington, D.C.
• 2016 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Annual International Meeting; July 17–20, 2016; Jonathan Male, Alison Goss Eng, Mark Elless, Sam Tagore; Orlando, Florida
• Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology Annual Meeting; July 24–28, 2016; Jay Fitzgerald, Ian Rowe; New Orleans, Louisiana

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