ABO Blog

As Freshwater is Depleted Algae Presents an Opportunity

Water levels in U.S. aquifers are dropping at a rate 3 times faster than at any time in the last century, according to an exhaustive 18 year study by the United States Geological Survey. The new research shows dramatic drops in the vast underground storage areas tapped for agriculture, energy and human consumption.

With depleted aquifers, as well as continued drought, our ability to produce energy — and food — will be dramatically impacted.  That’s why it’s more important than ever to develop technologies that don’t rely on fresh water resources.

Algae, which can grow in salt, brackish or wastewater, present a unique and significant opportunity to sustainably feed and fuel our society. As algae grow, they can simultaneously produce lipids (oils) that can be refined into fuels, chemicals and industrial uses as well as nutrients that can be used for animal feed and human health.

A recent ABO webinar showcased commercial algae’s ability to utilize saltwater resources for wide scale production.  And new research from the Pacific Northwest National Lab yesterday finds that the U.S. land and water resources could support 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel annually – about one-twelfth of our annual consumption.

The US algae industry continues to lead the way in the development of sustainable solutions for fuel, food and the environment.

Check out this recording of last week’s ABO’s webinar on algae and saltwater resources:

Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO

Mark you calendar for the 16th annual Congressional Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency EXPO + Forum being held June 16 in Washington, DC.

The event will bring together nearly fifty businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and near-term potential of the cross-section of renewable energy (biofuels/biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) and energy efficiency technologies.

Hosting the conference is the Sustainable Energy Coalition – in cooperation with Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Caucuses, and in partnership with the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, Congressional Energy Savings Performance Contract Caucus, High Performance Building Caucus, Green Schools Caucus, and Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Caucus.

Click here for more information here.

ABO’s 2013-2015 Directors

Yesterday the Algae Biomass Organization announced the results of it’s latest board elections, and we’d like to extend a warm welcome to the new and returning board members that will serve until 2015!

The newly elected board members are:

  • Tim Burns – BioProcess Algae
  • Jose Olivares – Los Alamos National Laboratories
  • Todd Taylor – Fredrikson & Byron

Four board members were re-elected to a new two-year term:

  • David Hazlebeck – General Atomics
  • Margaret McCormick – Matrix Genetics
  • Paul Woods – Algenol Biofuels
  • Tim Zenk – Sapphire Energy

These new and re-elected board members join ABO’s current board members:

  • Mark Allen – Accelergy Corporation
  • John Benemann – MicroBio Engineering, Inc.
  • Tom Byrne – Byrne & Company, Ltd.
  • Bill Glover – Boeing Commercial Airplanes
  • Greg Mitchell – Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Joel Murdock – FedEx Express
  • Philip Pienkos – National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Jim Rekoske – Honeywell/UOP

More information is available in ABO’s press release.

Algae Biomass Organization Announces 2013-2015 Board of Directors

Diverse group from across industry’s value chain represents algae production, end-users and professional services

MINNEAPOLIS–May 14, 2013 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, today announced the election of seven members to its Board of Directors for the 2013-2015 term. The new and re-elected board members join eight others that are already serving terms on the board.

ABO’s board guides the organization in its mission to educate the general public, policymakers and industry about the benefits of algae to address energy security, food production and sustainability, and to advocate for policies that can accelerate the development of commercial markets for products made from algae.

ABO’s board is comprised of representatives from multiple sectors of an industry that is seeing more investment as well as the commissioning of several large-scale demonstration projects across the country. Board members come from industry sectors that include academia, professional services, producers, technology suppliers, project developers and end-users. The newly elected board members are:

  • Tim Burns – BioProcess Algae
  • Jose Olivares – Los Alamos National Laboratories
  • Todd Taylor – Fredrikson & Byron

Four board members were re-elected to a new two-year term:

  • David Hazlebeck – General Atomics
  • Margaret McCormick – Matrix Genetics
  • Paul Woods – Algenol Biofuels
  • Tim Zenk – Sapphire Energy

These new and re-elected board members join ABO’s current board members:

  • Mark Allen – Accelergy Corporation
  • John Benemann – MicroBio Engineering, Inc.
  • Tom Byrne – Byrne & Company, Ltd.
  • Bill Glover – Boeing Commercial Airplanes
  • Greg Mitchell – Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Joel Murdock – FedEx Express
  • Philip Pienkos – National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Jim Rekoske – Honeywell/UOP

“ABO’s board of directors sets the organization’s agenda and plays an integral role in moving the algae industry forward,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “I’m glad to see representatives participating from every facet of our industry; from those providing the technical research to those operating large demonstration facilities, to the end-users that have an interest in renewable fuels and other products derived from algae.”

In addition to education and outreach efforts with policymakers, ABO produces and hosts the industry’s premier global conference, the Algae Biomass Summit, which this year will be held in Orlando, Florida, September 30-October 3rd.

About the Algae Biomass Organization

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

ABO Webinar: Saltwater Resources and Commercial Algae Production

Last Thursday ABO conduced the first in a series of live webinars that are designed to showcase the people, policies and technologies that are moving the algae industry forward. This preliminary webinar focused on the interplay of saline water availability and commercial algae production for biofuels and other products. Presenting on the topic were:

  • Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization
  • Dr. Stephen Mayfield, Director of the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology at UC-San Diego
  • Dr. Mark Wigmosta, Chief Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Dr. Erik Venteris, Spatial Modeling Research Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

The presentations were detailed explainations of the latest research on algae’s potential to thrive in salt water, and how the available salt water in the U.S. can support large-scale algae farming.

If you missed the webinar last week we have posted this recording of the event: