ALGAE: A PANACEA CROP?
The Futurist, Mar-Apr 2009
A chief NASA scientist at Langley Research Center, Dennis Bushnell, suggests that the future of energy is green - literally -- and even salty. Algae and bacteria are the two most important biofuel technologies of the twenty-first century. As a replacement for oil, algae are extremely practical, utilize mostly cheap and abundant resources like saltwater and wasteland, and have the potential to reduce global carbon-dioxide output tremendously. The Great Salt Lake could conceivably be turned into an algae pond to produce something on the order of $250 billion a year in biofuels.  Algae require a lot of nitrogen, a mineral that is missing in most seawater. But genetic mapping of halophyte algae — a task already occupying geneticists around the globe — could lead to entirely new algae species that would derive their nitrogen from the atmosphere.
> Read more: http://www.wfs.org/Jan-Feb%2009/BushnellMA09.htm

ALTERNATIVE JET FUEL: THE JATROPHA PLANT?
Greg T. Spielberg, Business Week, February 7, 2009
Jatropha, native to Central America, is an inedible, tough-skinned, toxic weed. Oil made from the seeds of the jatropha plant, used for centuries as a hedgerow to shade coffee crops, has helped to power test flights by Air New Zealand (AIZ.AX), Japan Airlines (9205.T), and Continental Airlines (CAL) in the past several weeks. One of the so-called third-generation of bio­fuels, which includes algae and switchgrass, jatropha yields more energy than oils derived from soy or corn and avoids the food vs. fuel debate.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/cohwal

THE ART OF BIOMASS PELLETIZING
Ryan C. Christiansen, Biomass Magazine, March 12, 2009
The cost to harvest, handle, transport and store low-density agricultural residue and other biomass materials often places biomass at a competitive disadvantage to fossil fuels.  High moisture content and natural decay can lower its value. Condensing biomass to form a uniform fuel product can be challenging and is often considered more art than science. Pelletizing processes are reviewed and discussed.
> Read more: http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2465

BIOMASS -> BIOCARBON -> BIOENERGY
Gerry Kutney, Bioenergy Canada, April 2009
The forestry industry is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities and challenges of an energy-thirsty world.  Beyond, lumber, pulp and paper, perhaps the greatest opportunity for the forestry industry is its access to the most efficient solar, carbon-capture technology in the world designed by nature.  Whether it's healthy, living, forests sustaining carbon sequestration or damaged and diseased resources for fibre, there is a great deal to explore as outlined in this article.
> Read more: http://www.bioenergymagazine.ca/article.jsp?article_id=341&article_title=Biomass+-%3E+Biocarbon+-%3E+Bioenergy&q=&page=2

BIOMASS HARVESTING STRATEGIES
Diane Greer, BioCycle, January 2009, p. 39
A 2005 study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that U.S. forest and agricultural lands could produce over 1.3 billion dry tons per year of biomass — enough to meet more than one-third of the country's demand for transportation fuel.  Producing biomass at these volumes requires new equipment and harvesting and storage methods. And, farmers must be able to supply feedstocks profitably and at prices which allow production of biofuels that are cost competitive.  The article discusses the need for different types of equipment, as well as new methodologies of harvesting and storage.
> Contact the ITC Library to obtain this article.

CAROLINA "CLEAN" COAL: NC STATE RESEARCHERS WORK TO MAKE WOOD A NEW ENERGY SOURCE
North Carolina State University News Release, March 11, 2009
Is wood the new coal? Researchers at North Carolina State University think so, and they are part of a team working to turn woodchips into a substitute for coal by using a process called torrefaction that is greener, cleaner and more efficient than traditional coal burning. During torrefaction, woodchips go through a machine – almost like an industrial-sized oven – to remove the moisture and toast the biomass. The machine, called a torrefier, changes more than just the appearance of the woody biomass. The chips become physically and chemically altered – through heat in a low-oxygen environment – to make them drier and easier to crush.  The torrefied wood is lighter than the original woodchips but retains 80 percent of the original energy content in one-third the weight. That makes them an ideal feedstock for electric power plants that traditionally use coal to generate energy for businesses and residential neighborhoods.
> Read more: http://news.ncsu.edu/news/2009/03/cbtorrefier.php

ETHANOL BYPRODUCTS OFFER SAVINGS FOR FARMERS AND INDUSTRY
Don Comis and Ann Perry, Agricultural Research, February 2009
Ethanol production has changed the scene in corn and livestock country. The high cost of field corn and its diversion from livestock feed to ethanol production have created the need to substitute ethanol production co-products for some corn feed. Distiller’s grains are the residual material from converting grain, such as corn or sorghum, into ethanol.  ARS scientists are testing the co-products of ethanol and biodiesel production on hundreds of livestock, including beef cattle, dairy cows, pigs, poultry, and fish, to see whether and how distiller’s grains fit into feed rations.  Blending distiller’s grains into feed could lower costs for livestock producers and provide a market for recycling these ethanol coproducts.
> Read more: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb09/ethanol0209.htm

HOW RENEWABLE ENERGY AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS STACK UP
Matthew L. Wald, Scientific American, February 16, 2009
The need to tackle global climate change and energy security makes developing alternatives to fossil fuels crucial.  This article is represented in a slide show featuring graphical diagrams and descriptions of various energy technologies: Solar-Thermal, Wind, Geothermal, Ocean Wave Power, Solar-Photovoltaic, Automotive Batteries, Fuel Cells, Stationary Batteries, Compressed Air, Ice Storage, Electricity Transmission.
> Read more: http://www.sciam.com/slideshow.cfm?id=how-renewable-energy-and-storage

TURNING SUNLIGHT INTO LIQUID FUELS: BERKELEY LAB RESEARCHERS CREATE A NANO-SIZED PHOTOCATALYST FOR ARTIFICIAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Berkeley Lab Press Release, March 10, 2009
For millions of years, green plants have employed photosynthesis to capture energy from sunlight and convert it into electrochemical energy. A goal of scientists has been to develop an artificial version of photosynthesis that can be used to produce liquid fuels from carbon dioxide and water. Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have now taken a critical step towards this goal with the discovery that nano-sized crystals of cobalt oxide can effectively carry out the critical photosynthetic reaction of splitting water molecules.
> Read more: http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2009/03/10/turning-sunlight-into-liquid-fuels-berkeley-lab-researchers-create-a-nano-sized-photocatalyst-for-artificial-photosynthesis/

DEADLINE: April 22nd
THE SD TECH FUND™ WILL BE ACCEPTING STATEMENTS OF INTEREST FROM FEBRUARY 25 TO APRIL 22, 2009.
SDTC’s SD Tech Fund™ invests in late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean technologies by Canadian companies.  Eligible projects must focus on the development and demonstration of new technologies that address issues of climate change, clean air, water and soil quality. The projects must be undertaken primarily in Canada. The Statement of Interest (SOI) is an initial application used for preliminary screening and is subject to a competitive review process by SDTC and a panel of independent experts.
> Read more: http://www.sdtc.ca/en/SOIinfo.htm

BIONAVITAS ANNOUNCES BREAKTHROUGH ALGAE GROWTH TECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS PRODUCTION
Businesswire, February 24, 2009
Bionavitas, Inc. recently unveiled its patent-pending Light Immersion Technology™ (LIT™), a scientific breakthrough that dramatically increases algae yields in a cost-efficient and scalable model. Algae, shown to have the potential for solving the reliance on fossil fuels for energy production, are widely recognized as an important source for biodiesel production. Harnessing the power of the sun or an artificial light source by immersing it in the culture, Light Immersion Technology effectively produces an order of magnitude more algae biomass than existing growth methods, thereby increasing yields and reducing the cost to make algae-based biofuels price competitive with petroleum products.
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/c4wrd4

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES CELLULOSIC BIOFUELS NETWORK
Bioenergy Canada, April 2009
The Agricultural Bioproducts Innovation Program, which promotes the research, development, technology transfer and commercialization of agricultural bioproducts and biofuels in Canada, has invested $19.9 million in funding over the next three years for the establishment of the Cellulosic Biofuels Network.  Comprised of nine federal government laboratories and research centres; the universities of Ottawa, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Montreal, Alberta, Toronto, Concordia, Ryerson and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology; and private partner, FPInnovations, the CBN will research the entire process of ethanol production to develop new technologies and methods that will increase efficiency and reduce the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol. 
> Additional information: http://www.agr.gc.ca/abip
> Read more: http://tinyurl.com/bckrrh

HPBA: PELLET STOVE SALES ARE HOT
Ryan C. Christiansen, Biomass Magazine, March 12, 2009
According to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, which represents manufacturers and retailers of pellet stoves, the number of pellet stoves shipped from manufacturers to retailers jumped 161 percent in 2008.  The $787 billion U.S. federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law Feb. 17, included a 30-percent tax credit (up to $1,500) for the purchase of a 75-percent efficient biomass-burning stove in 2009 or 2010.   Unfortunately, the Internal Revenue Service has not issued the guidelines for determining which stoves meet the efficiency requirements to qualify for the credit or how a manufacturer will qualify its products.  Trying to get ahead of the game, some pellet stove manufacturers are having their products tested to meeting the current EPA emissions requirement for wood stove certification.
> Read more: http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2494

SMART CHOICES FOR BIOFUELS
Worldwatch Institute and Sierra Club
February 2009
The Sierra Club and Worldwatch Institute recently released a report, Smart Choices for Biofuels, highlighting the need for important policy reforms at this critical juncture in America's effort to increase the use of biofuels. The report outlines the economic and environmental impacts of first-generation biofuels such as corn ethanol, proposes strategies to make the biofuels industry more sustainable, and offers specific policy recommendations in four broad categories: Developing sustainability standards; Advancing biofuels production and new technologies; Creating green jobs through biofuels; Promoting policy coherence across energy sectors.
> Read more:http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/biofuels.pdf

March 16-18, 2009
BIO-EUROPE SPRING 2009
Milan, Italy
> Details:http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes/

March 24, 2009
WEBINAR: BIOENERGY FROM RESIDUES
(GASIFICATION, PYROLYSIS AND ANAEROBIC DIGESTION)
1-3 p.m. EST
> Register by March 20: Tel: 519.383.8303 Ext. 238 Email: mprendi2@uwo.ca

March 23-25, 2009
ALGAE BIOFUELS WORLD SUMMIT
San Francisco, CA
> Details:http://www.infocastinc.com/index.php/conference/algae09

March 31, 2009
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FINANCE FORUM
Conference Board of Canada
Calgary, AB
> Details: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/conf/09-0093/default.aspx

March 31, 2009
FUELING CANADIAN INDUSTRY WITH AGRO-BIOMASS
Queens University, Kingston, ON
> Details:http://www.canbio.ca/events/events_kingston.php

April 28-30, 2009
INTERNATIONAL BIOMASS CONFERENCE & EXPO
Portland, OR
> Details:http://www.biomassconference.com/ema/DisplayPage.aspx?pageId=About_Us

May 12-15 2009
BIOENERGY STUDY TOUR: STATE-OF-ART FOREST SUPPLY CHAINS AND BIOENERGY PROJECTS
Joensuu region, Finland
> Details: http://www.canbio.ca/documents/MissionsfromCanada.pdf

May 23 - 30, 2009
JOINT CANADA-SWEDEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS - 2009
Waste to Energy tour
The Swedish Trade Council, in association with the Canadian Urban Institute, is planning a series of Professional Development Workshops related to waste to energy and sustainable city building. These workshops will consist of an intensive "pre-tour workshop" and "debrief" in Canada and a "study tour" to learn some of these concepts and examples firsthand and meet Swedish experts in these fields. 
Waste to Energy tour Planned for May 23 - 30, 2009;
Sustainable City-building tour "SymbioCity" Planned for September 19 - 26, 2009;
Or create a Custom made tour
> Details: http://renewcanada.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/swe-study-tour-2009-flyer_v31_2-dec-2008.pdf

August 23-26, 2009
BIOFUELS & BIOENERGY: A CHANGING CLIMATE
Vancouver, Canada
>Details: http://www.ieabioenergyconference.org/

August 31 - September 4, 2009
CANADIAN MISSION TO 4TH INTERNATIONAL BIOENERGY 2009 CONFERENCE
Jyväskylä, Finland
> Details: http://www.canbio.ca/documents/MissionsfromCanada.pdf

September 16-18, 2009
tcbiomass2009 : THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THERMOCHEMICAL CONVERSION SCIENCE
Chicago, IL
> Details: http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Invitation.aspx?e=eadf83cc-8c4f-474d-9c67-d87c6aa9540e

September 19 - 26, 2009
JOINT CANADA-SWEDEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS - 2009
Sustainable City-building tour "SymbioCity"
The Swedish Trade Council, in association with the Canadian Urban Institute, is planning a series of Professional Development Workshops related to waste to energy and sustainable city building. These workshops will consist of an intensive "pre-tour workshop" and "debrief" in Canada and a "study tour" to learn some of these concepts and examples firsthand and meet Swedish experts in these fields. 
Waste to Energy tour Planned for May 23 - 30, 2009;
Sustainable City-building tour "SymbioCity" Planned for September 19 - 26, 2009;
Or create a Custom made tour
> Details: http://renewcanada.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/swe-study-tour-2009-flyer_v31_2-dec-2008.pdf