Category: Press

Publicly available testimony highlights algae’s role as a carbon-reducing, sustainable biofuel feedstock and the need for financial and regulatory parity to support development of industry, commercialization

WASHINGTON – October 29, 2009 – The Algae Biomass Organization’s (ABO) Executive Director Mary Rosenthal testified before Congress today on the economic and environmental benefits of algae-based fuels, as well as on steps legislators can take to ensure algae receive[s] benefits and financial incentives similar to those afforded to other biofuel feedstocks. As the leading trade organization representing the broad interests of the burgeoning algae industry, the ABO was asked to present testimony to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research, which has jurisdiction over energy and bio-based energy production, on the status of 2nd and 3rd generation biofuel feedstocks.

During her testimony to the Subcommittee, Ms. Rosenthal outlined the key benefits of algae-based fuels as compared to other feedstocks, including commercial scalability, carbon dioxide recycling, use of non-arable land for production, and the wide range of fuel products such as ethanol, biodiesel, and biojet that can be derived from algae. Ms. Rosenthal reinforced the position of the ABO and its more than 170 members organizations that algae are a sustainable, renewable feedstock that will strengthen the United States’ energy independence should be a key component of an overall national low-carbon energy policy.

Rosenthal outlined three key actions that Congress can take to ensure parity for the algae industry with other next generation feedstocks. Those recommendations included:

• Financial parity – Algae should receive the same tax incentives, subsidies and other financial benefits that other renewable fuels, particularly cellulosic biofuels, receive.
• Regulatory parity – Algae is currently excluded from the majority of the Renewable Fuel Standard, due to a 16 billion gallon carve out for cellulosic biofuels. The carve out should be changed so that it is technology neutral, thus allowing algae-based and other environmentally sustainable fuels to contribute to our nation’s efforts to become energy independent.
• Recognition of carbon dioxide reuse– Algae’s unique ability to turn carbon dioxide into renewable fuels will allow the organism to play a significant role in abating carbon emitted by industrial sources. Consequently, algae’s beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide should be acknowledged and accounted for in carbon capture and sequestration legislation.

Ms. Rosenthal’s testimony reflected conclusions and policy positions drawn during the organization’s recent 3rd annual Algae Biomass Summit, held on October 7-9 in San Diego. The Algae Biomass Summit is the algae industry’s premier global conference and is designed to highlight scientific advances and encourage knowledge sharing to accelerate the development of algae-based solutions for global energy, environmental and economic issues. The third annual summit drew more than 700 attendees from across the industry (academia & science, private & public sector, finance, etc.) and featured more than 70 expert speakers, 45 poster presentations and 25 exhibitors, providing attendees a wide range of information and expertise on the algae industry.

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass. 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.
Media Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-625-0075, jwilliams@scovillepr.com

ABO believes provisions will strengthen algae industry, promote development and commercialization of algae-based fuels

WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 28, 2009 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the leading trade association for the industry, today recognized the leadership of Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, for including the RFS amendment offered by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Chair of the Senate Energy Committee, and Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) in the Chairman’s mark of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733). The amendment effectively levels the playing field for advanced green biofuel feedstocks, and recognizes the potential of algae to reduce CO2 emissions, create jobs and increase the nation’s energy independence.

The key provision in the chairman’s mark clarifies the mandates outlined in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) of the Clean Air Act. The “Advanced Green Biofuels” amendment establishes greenhouse gas reduction targets for the fuels produced from the renewable biomass and clarifies that algae and other renewable biomass which meet these standards qualify under the RFS.

“By adding the Bingaman-Carper amendment, Senator Boxer and her colleagues on the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works have addressed one of the biggest challenges to commercialization of algae-based biofuels – parity with other feedstocks,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the ABO. “Since algae-based fuels meet the requirements of the RFS for emissions reductions and renewable biomass, it is only fair that they be treated the same as other feedstocks.”

In addition, ABO recognized the participation and leadership of Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) who supported algae-based fuels during the process.

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass. 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.

Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-625-0075,  jwilliams@scovillepr.com

More than 800 industry experts to attend three-day event designed to encourage knowledge sharing and highlight advances in industry

SEATTLE – September 8, 2009 – The 2009 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) and the algae industry’s premier global conference, announced today it is expecting to draw more than 800 attendees for a three-day event exploring the development of algae-based solutions to global energy, environmental, and economic issues. The third annual summit, which will take place October 7-9, 2009 in San Diego, will also include a record number of more than 70 expert speakers, 70 poster presentations and 25 exhibitors, providing attendees a wide range of information and expertise on the algae industry.

“The quality of speakers and presenters, record number of abstract submissions and high registrations for this year’s Algae Biomass Summit reflects the growing promise of algae as a crucial source for clean and renewable energy,” said Thomas Byrne, Chair of the ABO’s Event Committee and founder of Byrne & Company Ltd. “This conference will be the premier event for the industry and will provide a preeminent platform for cooperation and advancement in algal technology and policy.”

The ABO has posted the final conference agenda, which features dozens of presentations from national and international technologists, producers, scientists, investors, and policy-makers. During the course of the event, these leaders and the hundreds of attendees will discuss issues of critical importance to the emerging algae industry, including the commercial viability of algae production, current government and private initiatives, evolving technologies, processing concepts, and venture and project finance.

Dr. J. Craig Venter, a well-known leader in genomics and the founder of Synthetic Genomics, Inc., will open the summit with his keynote presentation titled “From Reading to Writing the Genetic Code.” Also featured at the summit will be a tribute session to Ralph Lewin, “the father of green algae genetics”, a distinguished scientist, author and professor, who spent nearly 50 years at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.

The Algae Biomass Summit’s founding sponsors are Byrne & Co Ltd and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Additional sponsors include FedEx, Raytheon, The Boeing Company, Airbus, Stoel Rives, Invitrogen, and Sapphire Energy.

More information, including registration for the 2009 Summit, is available online: www.algaebiomass.org/events.

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass. 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.

Media Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-625-0075,  jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Industry trade organization commends government efforts and urges further leadership

SEATTLE – August 12, 2009 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today posted a copy of its comments it provided to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap on its website. The ABO encouraged DOE to do three things: provide a clear vision for its plans for algae-based fuels and energy; promote public-private partnerships to accelerate commercialization; and give algae parity with other feedstocks with regard to tax incentives, regulatory and other federal policies.

The comment period is the culmination of a nearly year-long process of information gathering from the DOE’s Office of Biomass Program. Beginning in December, when the DOE hosted a series of briefings until last week’s conclusion of the commenting period, the Office of Biomass Program has been working with scientists, academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, large companies and end users to more fully understand the potential for algae and best practices to commercialization.

The ABO along with member organizations have provided key insights throughout the process through testimony at workshops, briefings with DOE staff and elected officials, as well as the comments submitted to the DOE.

“The DOE Roadmap process is an important first step to identifying both barriers and opportunities for commercialization of next generation fuels and energy derived from algal-biomass,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of the ABO. “The ABO and our members hope this feedback will help the DOE more clearly understand not only the tremendous potential of algae, but also the practical steps needed to take to accelerate the fulfillment of that potential.”

The ABO’s three key recommendations for the DOE Roadmap were:

Provide a clearly defined destination: The Roadmap lacks a clearly defined and government authored vision for the industry in terms of productivity, sustainability, interface with other industries, and job creation. The ABO advocates that the Roadmap make recommendations on the research priorities required to achieve this vision given the current state of algal development. Accordingly, the ABO advises this new vision section of the roadmap should clearly point out how algae’s key attribute (beneficial reuse of CO2) will best meld into and transform the present industrial ecosystem into meeting our nation’s long-term environmental, jobs and energy security goals.

Promote public-private partnership: Because the private industry has the most up-to-date understanding of the specific techno-economic requirements for building and scaling an algae industry, the ABO recommends a public-private collaborative forum be convened to identify the most pressing research required to achieve a sustainable, productive and rapidly scalable algal industry. The ABO believes this forum should be ongoing to track the necessarily rapid public and private advancements within this industry.

Develop financial parity with other feedstocks: The ABO believes a key element to the success of algae biofuels industry will be the public and private investments that are made. Accordingly, the ABO believes the government should establish a system of financial and non-financial incentives that are in parity with other renewable energy technologies. The ABO supports an approach which would be focused on national economic and environmental outcomes rather than technology specific policies.

The ABO believes with the U.S. Government’s continued support, the industry will make a significant impact on addressing the country’s need to achieve a more secure energy future while also reducing the carbon footprint of its energy options. A copy of the full comments is available on the ABO website..

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass. 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.

Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-625-0075,  jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Registration for premier algae industry conference now open

SEATTLE – July 22, 2009 – The 2009 Algae Biomass Summit announced today that J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., renowned scientist and CEO of Synthetic Genomics Inc (SGI), will be the keynote speaker at this year’s event. The Algae Biomass Summit is the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) and takes place this year October 7-9 in San Diego. Registration for the conference is now available at  www.algaebiomass.org/events/.

The Algae Biomass Summit is the algae industry’s premier global conference and is designed to highlight scientific advances and encourage knowledge sharing to accelerate the development of algae-based solutions for global energy, environmental and economic issues.

Dr. Venter, who is well known as a leader in genomics for sequencing the first draft human genome in 2001 and his complete human genome in 2007, is the co-founder of SGI, which is dedicated to using genomic-driven advances to address a variety of global issues including energy and the environment. SGI recently announced a $600 million alliance with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company to develop next generation biofuels using photosynthetic algae. Prior to this announcement, SGI announced deals with BP in exploring biological conversion of subsurface hydrocarbons and a deal with Malaysian company, ACGT to explore oil producing crops such as oil palm and jatropha. His presentation at the Algae Biomass Summit is titled “From reading to writing the genetic code.”

“Dr. Venter is a scientific pioneer and strong advocate for next generation biofuels,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “He is applying his success with genomes in ways that have the potential to help algae-based solutions deliver on the promise of renewable and sustainable energy.”
In 1995 Dr. Venter and his team of researchers decoded the genome of the first free-living organism, the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, using his new whole genome shotgun technique. Since then, he and his teams have now sequenced hundreds of genomes using his techniques and tools.

Dr. Venter, formerly a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, is the author of more than 200 research articles and the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, public honors, and scientific awards, including the 2001 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, and the 2002 Gairdner Foundation International Award. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Venter has also been selected twice to  Time (magazine)” Time Magazine’s “Time 100” Time 100” list of the most influential people in the world.

About the ABO
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass. 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.

Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-625-0075,  jwilliams@scovillepr.com