President Obama gives biofuels support
US President Barack Obama has proven his support for the biomass and biofuel industries by providing nearly $800 million (€588 million) in funding and forming a market development programme.
The new funding will be allocated under the directive of the US Department Of Energy biomass programme across four main areas which include $480 million (€353 million) to the solicitation for integrated pilot-and demonstration-scale biorefineries, $176.5 million for commercial-scale biorefinery projects, $110 million for fundamental research in key program areas, and $20 million for ethanol research.
Earlier in the week the President signed a Presidential Directive establishing a Biofuels Interagency Working Group, to be co-chaired by the secretaries of agriculture and energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency administrator. The group will work to identify new policies to support the development of next-generation biofuels; increase flexible-fuel vehicle use and assist in retail marketing efforts; coordinate infrastructure policies impacting the supply, secure transport and distribution of biofuels, and identify new policy options to promote the environmental sustainability of biofuels feedstock production while taking into consideration land use, habitat conservation, crop management practices, water efficiency/quality and life-cycle assessments of greenhouse gas emissions.
Numerous renewable energy companies voiced their approval and support of the funding and working group, including ethanol giant Poet. ‘The creation of this working group to develop the ethanol industry and infrastructure is exactly what’s needed to keep the country moving toward cleaner, greener fuels,’ said Poet CEO Jeff Broin. ‘The federal government can play an important role by encouraging the production of flexible fuel vehicles and the installation of blender pumps and other ethanol infrastructure.’
The new funding will be allocated under the directive of the US Department Of Energy biomass programme across four main areas which include $480 million (€353 million) to the solicitation for integrated pilot-and demonstration-scale biorefineries, $176.5 million for commercial-scale biorefinery projects, $110 million for fundamental research in key program areas, and $20 million for ethanol research.
Earlier in the week the President signed a Presidential Directive establishing a Biofuels Interagency Working Group, to be co-chaired by the secretaries of agriculture and energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency administrator. The group will work to identify new policies to support the development of next-generation biofuels; increase flexible-fuel vehicle use and assist in retail marketing efforts; coordinate infrastructure policies impacting the supply, secure transport and distribution of biofuels, and identify new policy options to promote the environmental sustainability of biofuels feedstock production while taking into consideration land use, habitat conservation, crop management practices, water efficiency/quality and life-cycle assessments of greenhouse gas emissions.
Numerous renewable energy companies voiced their approval and support of the funding and working group, including ethanol giant Poet. ‘The creation of this working group to develop the ethanol industry and infrastructure is exactly what’s needed to keep the country moving toward cleaner, greener fuels,’ said Poet CEO Jeff Broin. ‘The federal government can play an important role by encouraging the production of flexible fuel vehicles and the installation of blender pumps and other ethanol infrastructure.’
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