ABO Blog – Page 86

Increasing Attention In Congress for Carbon Utilization

The algae in Algenol's bioreactors in Florida consume carbon dioxide as they produce ethanol and other fuels. — The algae in Algenol’s bioreactors in Florida consume carbon dioxide as they produce ethanol and other fuels.

Algae can consume enormous quantities of carbon dioxide as they grow, and since they can also be used to produce a number of valuable products (fuel, feed, plastics, nutritional supplements and more) there has been an increased level of interest on both sides of the aisle in Congress.

Consider:

1. In May U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced legislation to prioritize research and development of carbon utilization technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy program.

2. The House passed an Energy and Water Appropriations bill which included $2 million for carbon utilization R&D at the Fossil Energy office, and the Senate Energy and Water Full Committee passed their own version with $10 million for carbon utilization.

3. A few weeks ago Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced climate legislation that calls out carbon capture and utilization as an accepted method for power plants and other industries to achieve CO2 reductions.

4. Recently, language that encourages the EPA to implement policies which encourage the utilization of carbon dioxide was included in pending Interior Appropriations legislation.

5. Last week the bipartisan energy bill put forward by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee included the CCU language for Fossil Energy.

6. Now this week we have a bill from U.S. Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Matt Salmon (R-AZ) in the House with similar language.

It’s clear that this approach of recycling carbon dioxide emissions into products we need is getting more attention than ever–no doubt because of its unique potential to deliver both environmental and economic benefits. At ABO we’re very excited by the response and look forward to accelerating the commercialization of this innovative new approach!

Algae Biomass Organization Applauds U.S. Reps. Peters and Salmon for Bi-Partisan House Bill to Increase R&D Funding for Carbon Capture & Utilization

Common sense approach to reducing emissions while creating jobs and decreasing costs for ratepayers

WASHINGTON, DC (July 29, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, applauded U.S. Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Matt Salmon (R-AZ) for introducing a bill designed to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that would spur research and development of carbon utilization technologies. The act will be called the ‘‘Carbon Capture Research and Development Act.’’

The Peters-Salmon bill would amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the Secretary of Energy to consider the objective of improving the conversion, use, and storage of carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuels in carrying out research and development programs under that Act.

This bill is a companion bill to one offered in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Whitehouse (D-RI). Both bills direct the Secretary to amend Section 961(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16291(a)) by adding the following language at the end of the section “Improving the conversion, use, and storage of carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuels.’’

“We are so pleased that Congressmen Peters and Salmon have introduced the Carbon Capture Research and Development Act,” said Matt Carr, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “Their bi-partisan collaboration shows that this common sense approach to dealing with carbon emissions is something that we can all get behind. We look forward to others in the House co-sponsoring the bill and moving it forward.”

Current approaches to emissions reduction that treat carbon like waste are energy-intensive and expensive, increasing costs for utilities and ultimately, ratepayers. Carbon utilization technologies like algae, conversely, convert waste carbon into marketable products. This approach can offset the cost of the carbon capture technology – and in some cases create an ongoing revenue stream. In both cases, ratepayers are spared.

“We’ve spoken with dozens of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and we hear time and time again that this makes so much sense,” said Carr. “Carbon utilization offers the environmental benefits of emissions reduction with the economic and job-creation benefits of a free-market industry – it’s a powerful approach to solving the problem of carbon emissions.”

Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic and climate challenges facing the world today. This tiny but powerful organism has the ability to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, reuse CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people, and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

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 Visits the University of Kentucky/Duke Energy Algae Demonstration Site

A couple of weeks ago ABO’s executive director Matt Carr was able to visit an innovative carbon utilization project in Boone County, Kentucky. The University of Kentucky/Duke Energy Algae Demonstration Site is comprised of several photobioreactors growing algae with the CO2 taken directly from a coal powered generation plant operated by Duke.

Staff from Duke Energy and researchers from the University of Kentucky were on had to describe the operations, as was Congressman Thomas Massie, representing Kentucky’s 4th District.

Rep. Massie (with water bottle) examines freshly harvested algae biomass from the UKY East Bend pilot. Jack Groppo of UKY's Center for Advanced Energy Research (left) explains the harvest process. — Rep. Massie (with water bottle) examines freshly harvested algae biomass from the UKY East Bend pilot. Jack Groppo of UKY’s Center for Advanced Energy Research (left) explains the harvest process.

The tour included a close-up inspection of photobioreactors at the site that convert the CO2 in flue gas to algal biomass, via photosynthesis. The biomass is then periodically harvested to supply feedstock for upgrading into value-added products. The low energy harvesting system recycles water and unused nutrients.

The University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research (UK CAER) is an interdisciplinary research center focused on the energy needs of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Michael Wilson of CAER explains how the algae photobioreactors work.

Demonstrations like this are proving how algae cultivation can be used to mitigate CO2 emissions at a profit, rather than the costs associated with other technologies.

As the need for carbon utilization technologies grows, collaborative projects such as this one will be more important than ever.

Algae Biomass Organization Hails Carbon Utilization Language in Senate Energy Legislation

Latest bill to encourage using carbon dioxide as a feedstock for valuable products

WASHINGTON, DC (July 28, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, hailed language included in the energy reform package released last Wednesday by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that would prioritize research and development of carbon utilization technologies under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy program. The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 would add “Improving the conversion, use, and storage of carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuels” to the list of DOE Fossil Energy R&D objectives under Section 961(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16512(a)).

“We thank the Committee for acknowledging the growing importance of carbon utilization technologies in addressing our nation’s energy future and economic health,” said Matt Carr, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “Innovators across the country are developing processes that can transform carbon dioxide into valuable products that range from plastics to fuels, and from feeds to fertilizers. This prioritization will hasten the day the algae industry can create thousands of jobs by using the waste gases from power plants to make valuable products we need, while giving those power plants a chance to reduce their emission for a profit rather than at a cost.”

The language in the bill comes as carbon utilization technologies have attracted increased attention among policy makers. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced similar language in legislation proposed in May, which was followed in the House by votes for an Energy and Water Appropriations bill which included $2 million for carbon utilization R&D at the Fossil Energy office, and a vote in the Senate Energy and Water Full Committee for $10 million for carbon utilization.

In June Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced climate legislation that calls out carbon capture and utilization as an accepted method for power plants and other industries to achieve CO2 reductions. Later in the month language that encourages the EPA to implement policies which encourage the utilization of carbon dioxide was included in pending Interior Appropriations legislation.

The Algae Biomass Organization has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to explicitly recognize that carbon utilization technologies are acceptable methods for states to achieve emissions reductions under the agency’s Clean Power Plan.

Carbon utilization technologies, such as algae cultivation, can transform carbon dioxide emissions into valuable products, simultaneously reducing harmful greenhouse gases and providing economic benefits. A number of algae companies across the country are working to commercialize new technology advances that convert concentrated sources of CO₂ to renewable fuels, chemicals, fertilizer, plastics and feed ingredients, as well as high-value products such as Omega-3 nutritional supplements, powerful antioxidants, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

ARPA-E Summer Workshops

Two ARPA-E workshops this summer may be of interest to ABO members:

Workshop: Novel Methods for Phytosequestration
Date: July 23-24, 2015
Location: Chicago, IL
This workshop will convene thought leaders in plant biology, soil microbiology, soil chemistry, biogeochemistry, computational analytics, and emerging imaging technologies to determine the most promising methods to enhance terrestrial carbon sinks. For more information, please visit the ARPA-E website.

Workshop: Bridging Renewable Electricity with Transportation Fuels
Date: August 27-28. 2015
Location: Denver, CO
This workshop will convene leading experts in electrochemistry, catalysis (hydrogenation and dehydrogenation), fuel cells and electrolyzers, organic synthesis and fuels to identify innovative research paths forward for the development of transformational technologies that can bridge renewable energy production and transportation fuels and significantly reduce the cost of energy transportation from remote locations to consumers using energy dense liquid fuels. For more information, please visit the ARPA-E website.