HARVESTING CLEAN ENERGY VII
January 29-30, 2007
Doubletree Hotel Boise – Riverside
Boise, Idaho
Details: http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/conference/

15TH EUROPEAN BIOMASS CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
From Research to Market Deployment - Biomass for Energy, Industry and Climate Protection
May 7-11, 2007
Berlin, Germany
Details: http://www.conference-biomass.com/Biomass_2007/welcome.asp

EECO 2007 ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY CONFERENCE
June 19-20, 2007
Toronto, ON
Details: http://www.eeco2007.com/

BIOFUEL REFINERY IN WORKS
Geoffrey Scotton
Calgary Herald, 11/13/06
A $400-million integrated biodiesel and ethanol refinery -- the first complex of its kind in North America -- will be built in central Alberta, led by Dominion Energy Services, LLC.  The Alberta bio-refinery will include a canola crushing plant, a biodiesel refinery and an ethanol refinery, each capable of producing up to 100 million U.S. gallons, or 374 million litres, per year of product.
Read more: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/calgarybusiness/story.html?id=472761fd-fead-4f96-8d8c-8968c15e96bc

BIOMASS ON THE FRONT BURNER
The Engineer Online, November 14, 2006
A new project at Nottingham University's School of the Built Environment aims to create the first small-scale biomass-fired combined heat and power (CHP) system, which is said to be ideal for use on farms and in other large domestic buildings. The project aims to help prove the viability of small-scale CHP generation, according to Professor Saffa Riffat, one of the project's leaders and an expert in sustainable energy technologies and thermal engineering. 'At the moment there are a number of large-scale 100-200kW CHP generators but there are no domestic-sized ones,' said Riffat. 'This will be the first biomass-powered CHP on a small scale.'
Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/296872/Biomass+on+the+front+burner.htm

ELECTRICITY FROM SUGAR WATER
Kevin Bullis
Technology Review, November 7, 2006
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a new way to make hydrogen directly from biomass, such as soy oil.  Using a catalytic method researchers produce hydrogen from fuels such soy oil and even a mixture of glucose and water. The hydrogen could be used in solid-oxide fuel cells, which now run on hydrogen obtained from fossil-fuel sources such as natural gas, to generate electricity.
Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17739&ch=energy

MAKING ETHANOL FROM WOOD CHIPS
Kevin Bullis
Technology Review, November 2006
A startup company, Mascoma Corporation, is scaling up experimental techniques to demonstrate the commercial potential of cellulosic ethanol.  Experimental methods for converting wood chips and grass into ethanol will soon be tested at production scale.
Read more: http://www.technologyreview.com/NanoTech/17799/

METHANE CREDITS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE CHICAGO CLIMATE EXCHANGE
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation <http://www.iowafarmbureau.com/> 
(IFBF) is now offering methane credit trading to Iowa farmers through the Chicago Climate Exchange <http://www.chicagoclimatex.com/>. Dave Miller, IFBF's Director of Research and Commodity Services, says the first businesses enrolled in the methane credit program include a 1,500 head dairy operation near Elmwood, Illinois, a 3,900 head dairy farm near Hilbert, Wisconsin and a 32,000 head dairy farm near Malone, Wisconsin.  Methane is captured from livestock waste in a facility called an anaerobic digester and is used to generate electricity. One of the facilities began operating in 2003 and now produces upwards of 300 tons of methane a year and more than one million kilowatt hours of elec! tricity. "With natural gas prices where they are, the energy system will pay for itself," says Miller. One ton of methane equals 18.25 carbon dioxide credits. The credits are currently trading at $3.75 to $4 a ton, so that means one ton of methane is worth about $70.00.
Read more: http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=587B8204-024E-B604-0439A56B668945FD

NATIONAL BIODIESEL BOARD ISSUES WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
News Release, November 8, 2006
Fleet managers, petroleum distributors and other consumers should consider a biodiesel “winter weather advisory” in effect for the nation. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) raised the advisory in response to fuel quality testing results that the trade association shared at an NBB-led industry meeting on November 8, 2006.   A national fuel quality testing project, co-funded by NBB and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, found that one-third of biodiesel samples pulled between November 2005 and July 2006 were out of spec for incomplete processing. That’s the same issue that caused some filter clogging problems in Minnesota last year.   The biodiesel industry’s commitment to fuel quality and consumer confidence is exemplified by a six-fold increase in the number of biodiesel producers completing the BQ-9000 voluntary certification program in a single year. The industry has also asked government agencies to adopt fuel quality standards for biodiesel and enforce them.  NBB’s Fuel Quality Outreach Program has made contact with all state Divisions of Weights and Measures, and encouraged them to adopt ASTM D-6751 into the laws that regulate fuel quality.
Read more: http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/pressreleases/gen/20061108_fuel%20qualitynrwinteradvisoryfinal.pdf

TWO DELAWARE LANDFILL GAS-TO-ENERGY PLANTS PRODUCE METHANE
Renewable Energy Access, 11/23/06
Two solid-waste landfills, owned and operated by the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA), will use the gas generated from decomposing organic waste to produce renewable energy. Constellation NewEnergy signed a 10-year agreement to purchase the power from the two plants.
Read more: http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=46648

WHY CELLULOSIC ETHANOL WILL NOT SAVE US?
Tad Patzek
VentureBeat, 11/05/06
The continuing debate -- Today it is commonly believed that burning freshly cut plants is superior to burning old fossil plants. Even more curiously, some are convinced that stripping ecosystems of gigantic quantities of biomass can go on year-after-year, forever, and with no consequences.  The author is of the opinion that these are erroneous assumptions. One simply cannot remove  biomass and nutrients from an ecosystem without putting these nutrients back, protecting the soil structure, and suffering from lower yields in later crop rotations in industrial plantations.
Read more: http://www.venturebeat.com/contributors/2006/11/05/why-cellulosic-ethanol-will-not-save-us/

$90 MILLION WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT FOR EDMONTON
Globe-Net, 11/24/06
The City of Edmonton has announced plans to build a $90 million gasification plant that will convert municipal waste into electricity. The Alberta government has committed $29 million for the facility, and equal commitments from the City and utility company EPCOR will fund the remainder of the project.
Read more: http://www.globe-net.ca/search/display.cfm?NID=2451&CID=8

CLIMATE CHANGE WILL AFFECT FUTURE FOOD AVAILABILITY
FAO Newsroom, 11/07/06
Climate change will directly affect future food availability and compound the difficulties of feeding the world’s rapidly growing population, FAO said at the opening of a U.N. climate change conference yesterday in Nairobi. “There is likely to be a significant transition toward biofuels during the next 50 years, with agriculture and forestry among the leading sources for both liquid and solid fuels,” he said. “Although there is no single solution for all countries, bioenergy has a role to play in both climate change adaptation and mitigation.”
Read more: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000436/index.html

COMMERCIAL CELLULOSE ETHANOL PLANT PLANNED
Globe-Net, 11/22/06
Construction on a $200 million commercial scale bio-refinery designed to produce cellulose ethanol from corn fiber and corn wastes is slated to begin early next year in Iowa. Once completed in 2009, the Voyager Ethanol plant reportedly will turn out 11 percent more ethanol from one bushel of corn - and 27 percent more ethanol per acre of corn - while using 83 percent less energy than a traditional corn-to-ethanol plant.
Read more: http://www.globe-net.ca/search/display.cfm?NID=2452&CID=8

DUPONT TATE & LYLE BIO PRODUCTS BEGIN BIO-PDO™ PRODUCTION IN TENNESSEE
News Release, 11/27/06
DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, LLC, an equally owned joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle , announced the first commercial shipments of Bio-PDO™ from its $100 million facility here. The Loudon facility produces 1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO™) from renewable resources – in this case corn sugar – making it the first facility in the world to manufacture this new bio-based product.
Read more: http://onlinepressroom.net/DuPont/NewsReleases/

DYNAMOTIVE INVESTS $20 M IN GUELPH BIOOIL PLANT
Globe-Net, 11/02/06
Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation, along with development partners, will invest $20 million over the next year for a new BioOil plant in Guelph, Ontario, and a product research laboratory in the Waterloo, Ontario area.  BioOil is produced using patented technology to convert forest and agricultural wastes such as bark, sawdust and sugar cane bagasse into a liquid fuel. The renewable, clean burning, low-emissions fuel is greenhouse gas neutral and can power gas turbines, diesel engines and boilers.
Read more: http://www.globe-net.ca/search/display.cfm?NID=2402&CID=9

25 X'25
"25x'25" is a rallying cry for renewable energy and a goal for America – to get 25 percent of our energy from renewable resources like wind, solar, and biofuels by the year 2025.
Web site: http://www.25x25.org

BIOCAP CANADA CONFERENCE 2006 - DVD
On October 31 and November 1, BIOCAP hosted its 2006 conference - Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy: Biosphere solutions for energy and the environment. The two-day event brought over 375 people to Ottawa to discuss Canada’s transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.   BIOCAP is making available, a DVD compendium of every session from our 2006 conference.  The DVDs feature video footage of: 5 Plenary Sessions, 12 Symposium Sessions, Conference Dinner Speaker, Over 30 hours of footage featuring 80 speakers.
To purchase DVD: http://www.biocap.ca/index.cfm?meds=subsection&subsection=197&section=67&category=24

CODEWARE
CODEWARE is software for design, rating, drafting and costing of ASME® Section VIII pressure vessels and exchangers.
Web site: http://www.codeware.com/

EATING FOSSIL FUELS: OIL, FOOD, AND THE COMING CRISIS IN AGRICULTURE 
Dale Allen Pfeiffer
New Society Publishers
Recently released, "Eating Fossil Fuels: Oil, Food, and the Coming Crisis in Agriculture"  examines the interlinked crises of energy and agriculture and highlights some startling findings. 
For more information about the publication, or to purchase a copy: http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3933

EUROPEAN BIOMASS ASSOCIATION
AEBIOM is a non profit Brussels based international organisation whose mission is to represent bioenergy at EU level. Aebiom encounters 28 national associations from all over Europe. It’s activities range in scope from project management, EU affairs, event organisation to information dissemination using communication tools such as bi-monthly newsletter, yearly journal "Biomass News" and others.
Web site: http://www.aebiom.org/

MICROBIAL ENERGY CONVERSION
Merry Buckley and Judy Wall
American Academy of Microbiology, 2006
Microbial energy technologies employ microorganisms either to manufacture fuels or to generate electricity directly through the breakdown of organic materials. Energy is never actually produced; rather, it can be converted from one form to another.  Although the field is promising, microbial energy conversion cannot possibly meet all of the world’s diverse energy needs. Different applications can call for radically different solutions. Microbial sources of energy may fit into some niches (depending on the amount of energy needed and the locale), but it is necessary to make a wide variety of sound energy technologies available to decision makers.  In their most obvious role in energy conversion, microorganisms can generate fuels, including ethanol, hydrogen, methane, lipids, and butanol, which can be burned to produce energy. Alternatively, bacteria can be put to use in microbial fuel cells, where they carry out the direct conversion of biomass into electricity. Microorganisms may also be used some day to make oil and natural gas technologies more efficient by sequestering carbon or by assisting in the recovery of oil and natural gas from the subsurface.  The technologies, their advantages, disadvantages, technical difficulties, and research needs are discussed in this report.
Obtain document: http://www.asm.org/ASM/files/ccLibraryFiles/Filename/000000002670/MicrobialEnergy.pdf

PENN STATE BIOMASS ENERGY CENTER
The mission of the Biomass Energy Center is to coordinate and facilitate research and outreach across the university, building teams to address the complete value chain of biomass energy systems.  Areas of concentration:  Improved production of biomass feedstocks; Integration of biomass production into sustainable agrosystems; Conversion of biomass into energy; and, Technology transfer to companies, state agencies, NGOs, and citizens throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
Web site: http://www.bioenergy.psu.edu/

PIPE-FLO
Engineered Software, Inc's PIPE-FLO® program is fluid flow analysis software to design, optimize and troubleshoot fluid piping systems for a clear simulated view of piping system operations. Engineered Software’s products are used world-wide in a variety of applications throughout many industries including HVAC, fire sprinkler, wastewater collection and treatment, mining, ultra-pure water, chemical processing, power generation, pulp & paper and general industrial.
Details: http://www.eng-software.com/

$30 MILLION IN CLEAN TECH FUNDING ANNOUNCED BY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY CANADA
News Release, December 6, 2006
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has approved $30 million in new funding for the development and demonstration of clean technologies that benefit both the environment and the economy. The money will be allocated to 13 projects, covering a wide array of clean technologies.  Over 90 per cent of projects have clean air benefits; biofuel related portfolio expanded
Learn more: http://www.sdtc.ca/en/news/media_releases/media_12062006.htm#

ONTARIO POWER AUTHORITY'S RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD OFFER PROGRAM
The Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program (RESOP) helps Ontario meet its renewable energy supply targets by providing small electricity generators a standard pricing regime and a streamlined process.  RESOP aims to make it easier for operators of small renewable energy generating facilities to contribute to Ontario's electricity supply by providing power to their local distribution company; the operators receive payment for the power they provide.  OPA expects projects to range in size from residential rooftop generation of one kilowatt or less up to projects of 10 megawatts.  The RESOP began accepting applications on November 22nd.
Details: http://www.powerauthority.on.ca/sop/

SDTC CLEAN TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT REPORTS
Globe-Net, November 24, 2006
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has released its second series of SD Business Case reports looking at technology investment priorities required for the development and demonstration of clean technologies.  The biofuel report addresses the future needs of one of Canada’s greatest potential fuel sources. Promising investment areas include the development of 2nd generation technology to enable the use of alternative, higher revenue generating feedstocks (such as mustard seed for biodiesel and wood for ethanol) and the development of both large-scale and smaller distributed biofuel plants.  SDTC invests in areas where Canada has a strong capability, and where SDTC can provide the most value. To that end, SDTC has developed a comprehensive evaluation and decision-support process that investigates various technologies, their markets, the needs they address, and the barriers they must overcome to achieve market success.
Renewable Fuel - Biofuels SD Business Case: http://www.sdtc.ca/en/knowledge/RenewableFuel-Biofuels.pdf