Author: Carrie Cox

In a historic victory for algae and other microbial technologies, Congress late last night approved a two-year budget agreement that establishes a $35 per ton tax incentive for carbon captured and recycled from power plants or industrial facilities using algae or other biologically-based carbon capture and use (CCU) systems. 

The bill adds algae and a number of other CCU approaches to the existing section 45Q Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) tax credit, which was previously available only to geologic storage and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects. It also substantially increases the credit rate from the previous $10 a ton to $35 a ton, extends the credit for up to 12 years, and expands the universe of eligible CO2 sources to include industrial and air capture facilities in addition to fossil power plants.

This historic outcome is the result of tireless work by ABO and its supporters in Congress to put algae on a level playing field with CCS and EOR when it comes to carbon capture policy, and to grow federal policy support for the full spectrum of CCU approaches.

A huge thanks to Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) for leading the charge; to the Congressional Algae Caucus for its support in the House, and to the many members of the Algae Nation who participated in this historic campaign.

The Algae Biomass Organization is now accepting abstracts for speaking and poster presentations at the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit, to be held in the Woodlands, Texas, October 14-17, 2018.

Submit by March 14, 2018 to receive priority review!

The Algae Biomass Summit is the largest algae conference in the world. Industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and students all gather at this event to discuss the latest achievements in advanced algae cultivation and products.

Now in it’s 12th year, the Summit has evolved into a unique showcase of the most significant scientific and commercial advances that are making the algae industry one of the post potent contributors of solutions to countless global challenges. 

Presentations of algae research and commercialization milestones across all topics are welcome: food, feed, nutrition, carbon utilization, wastewater treatment, energy, and more!

Submit Today!

 
 
 

Get your abstracts for the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit ready! The Algae Foundation has announced that it is offering $500 travel grants to attend the 12th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in The Woodlands, Texas, from October 14-17, 2018.

Information for students to apply for the 2018 Mary Rosenthal Memorial Student Travel Grant can be found at:  2018 Mary Rosenthal Memorial Student Travel Grant Information.

Deadline extended! The new application deadline is April 15, 2018

To qualify students must meet the following criteria:

• Be an ABO Member;
• Be a highschool, undergraduate, graduate student or pre-doctoral student or
• Be a PhD with a post-doctoral appointment and is currently involved in a full time academic research program for no longer than 2 years.
• Submit an abstract to present a poster or oral presentation at ABS 2018 and be the presenting author of the abstract. 
• Provide a suggested budget to attend the Summit
• Provide a current letter of recommendation for ABS 2018 (See below.)

An additional opportunity to receive Summit support through the ABS Poster Competition will be announced soon. 

ABO is partnering with the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) to formulate a one day algae track at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, July 16-19, 2018, in Philadelphia, PA.  The BIO World Congress is the premier industrial biotech event of the year, and we are honored to help establish this new platform for the important work of ABO members. Please share your algae transformation story this year in Philadelphia! 

Hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, this event provides you the opportunity to present and network with business executives, investors, industry leaders, government officials, and academic researchers within the industrial biotechnology space. BIO’s conference has added a brand-new program track in algae production technologies, which explores using algae as a production organism to make bioproducts, renewable chemicals, food ingredients and biofuel. BIO is now accepting proposal submissions for panel sessions, company and technical presentations, GreenTech Investor Sessions and poster presentations. Learn more about the 2018 program tracks or submit your proposal here.

The deadline to submit is February 1st!  Visit www.bio.org/worldcongress for more information and updates about the event.

Recent legislation in California has added $135 million for the reduction of toxic and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector. Will the state look to algae cultivation as one of the solutions?

Growing and harvesting algae is a type of agriculture that can remove vast amounts of greenhouse gases, either directly from the atmosphere as algae grow, or through carbon utilization methods that capture carbon-containing gases emitted at power plants or elsewhere. Furthermore, algae-based products and services may be able to play a significant role in farm operations, either as a renewable fuel, carbon-reducing fertilizer, or animal feed.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff are accepting input now on the development of the Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions (FARMER) Program Guidelines. These guidelines will shape how reduction funding is allocated, and it will be important for CARB to understand the role algae can play.

ABO members that want to contribute to the process should participate in CARB’s January 30 webinar. More information available here.