BETO Celebrates Earth Day!

Each year, Earth Day—April 22—brings millions together to focus on the environment. Over time, renewable energy has become an increasingly important part of this national event. Bioenergy is one of the many renewable options available to meet our current and future energy demands, and the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is committed to supporting the development of a bioeconomy that maximizes economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Learn more about how BETO supports the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. If you’re an educator, celebrate Earth Day every day with BETO’s Bioenergy Coloring Book and Eco-Friendly Education Activities!

Bioeconomy 2017 Will Feature LanzaTech CEO Jennifer Holmgren!

We are pleased to announce that Jennifer Holmgren, the Chief Executive Officer of LanzaTech, will be speaking at Bioeconomy 2017: Domestic Resources for a Vibrant Future! Dr. Holmgren has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry and was named the #1 person in Biofuels Digest's Top 100 People in the Advanced Bioeconomy 2017. Prior to joining LanzaTech, she worked as the vice president and general manager of UOP LLC’s Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit. For more details about Bioeconomy 2017, view the conference agenda.

Interested in exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities for the conference? Contact the Clean Energy Research and Education Foundation (CEREF), who will once again serve as the lead partner for Bioeconomy 2017. Please visit CEREF’s web page for more information or contact CEREF at bioenergy@ceref.org or 202-640-6599, extension 322.

Explore Bioeconomy Careers with the Bioenergy Career Map!

Are you looking to understand how you fit within the changing bioenergy landscape or how to jumpstart your career in bioeconomy? Check out the Bioenergy Career Map—an interactive, educational tool that explores the growing network of bioenergy occupations, illustrates potential career pathways, and identifies the education and training necessary required for each career. The career map profiles over 60 positions and over 100 tracks of advancement among careers that span across five subsectors of the bioenergy industry (infrastructure; agriculture, life, and physical sciences; engineering and manufacturing; education, communications, and outreach; and operations, management, and business).

BETO Launches Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Projects Map

BETO’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Projects Map is now online! This interactive map depicts all of BETO’s recent projects throughout the United States that are competitively awarded through the SBIR program. SBIR grants are awarded to small businesses for the development and commercialization of new ideas and innovative research. BETO’s SBIR projects are a part of a larger effort overseen by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). To learn more about the program, visit EERE’s SBIR website, and to learn more about the SBIR Projects Map, visit BETO’s Bioenergy News web page.

BioenergizeME Social Media Campaign Receives Over 21,000 Unique Page Views 

The BioenergizeME Infographic Challenge social media campaign came to a close on April 21. This year’s student teams put forth an incredible effort to represent advances in bioenergy with high-quality research and design. The social media campaign portion was also a success—students’ bioenergy infographics received more than 21,000 unique page views during the 11-day period. The winning team will be announced in May, so stay tuned to find out if your favorite team won! If you did not get a chance to see the infographics, check out the Infographic Challenge Map.

Participate in the Algae Cultivation for Carbon Capture and Utilization Workshop!

Register now for BETO’s Algae Cultivation for Carbon Capture and Utilization Workshop on May 23–24, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. The event will gather stakeholder input through facilitated discussions focused on innovative technologies and business strategies for growing algae on waste carbon dioxide resources. Participant input will help inform U.S. Department of Energy strategies for leveraging these technologies to realize affordable, scalable, and sustainable production of biofuels and bioproducts made from algae. A block of rooms is available at the workshop hotel for the nights of May 22–24. Register today!

Register for the Workshop on Moving beyond Drop-In Replacements: Performance Advantaged Biobased Chemicals

On June 1, 2017, BETO will sponsor the Workshop on Moving beyond Drop-In Replacements: Performance Advantaged Biobased Chemicals in Denver, Colorado. During this workshop, BETO will seek stakeholder input on challenges to identify novel compounds and functional replacements, as well as feedback to bridge the gap between those producing novel biobased compounds and those needing novel compounds or replacements for their formulations. Register now, and book your hotel room by May 10 to get a discounted government rate!

Past and Upcoming Events with BETO Representation

• Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy Worldwide Energy Conference: Refining Global Energy Strategies; April 10–12, 2017; Borka Kostova; National Harbor, Maryland
• 39th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals; May 1–4, 2017; Jay Fitzgerald, Beau Hoffman, Ian Rowe, Steve Thomas, Kevin Craig, David Babson; San Francisco, California
• 2017 Renewable Natural Gas Summit: Regulatory and Policy Discussions on Issues Impacting Renewable Natural Gas; May 22, 2017; David Babson; Washington, DC
• Algae Cultivation for Carbon Capture and Utilization Workshop; May 23–24, 2017; Orlando, Florida
• Workshop on Moving beyond Drop-In Replacements: Performance Advantaged Biobased Chemicals; June 1, 2017; Denver, Colorado
• Biofuels and Bioproducts from Wet and Gaseous Waste Streams: Market Barriers and Opportunities Workshop; June 6–7, 2017; Berkeley, California
• 7th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels, and Bioproducts; June 18–21, 2017; Miami, Florida
• Bioeconomy 2017: Domestic Resources for a Vibrant Future; July 11–12, 2017; Arlington, Virginia.

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