Dispatch from the Algae Biomass Summit

The second full day of the 2014 Algae Biomass Summit featured presentations on the potential of algae to utilize captured carbon emissions, commitments from the Navy to use biofuels, standards for industry measurements, and more.

Sign the petition  

Carbon utilization has been a hot topic at almost every session at the Summit. In one panel exclusively devoted to the topic industry leaders remarked that despite the policy paralysis in the United States on carbon emissions, the skepticism that surrounds the costs of carbon capture technologies and their success, there are still several approaches that can work in the near term. Resources are being devoted to those approaches outside the United States, many of which include algae cultivation. 

Advancing those technologies in the U.S. would be accelerated by establishing a few large demonstrations–similar to those employed by utilities in the past for next generation energy production technologies, only much less expensive. 

 

You can help develop these technologies by signing ABO’s petition asking the White House to ensure the EPA allows states to pursue algae and carbon utilization technologies for emissions reductions. Sign here today!

 

Algae in the Navy
Dennis McGinn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Energy, Installations & Environment addressed attendees of the Summit with one simple message from the Navy for algae biofuel producers:

 

If you make algae-based fuels, the Navy will buy them.

 

McGinn’s speech cemented the undisputed national security advantage that comes from renewable, domestically produced algae-based fuels. The Department of Defense continues a long tradition of leadership in energy transitions, being among the first institutions to adopt steam power in ships, then coal and oil, nuclear power, and now biofuels. 

 

Young Algae Researcher and Travel Grant Awards

ABO announced the winners of the third annual Young Algae Researcher Awardsat the Summit. The awards are presented to winners for research conducted in two subject areas: biology and engineering. 

The Algae Foundation, ABOs sister organization that supports algae education also announced the winners of this year’s travel grant awards that allow young graduate students to attend professional conferences such as the Summit.

Congratulations to the next generation of algae leaders!

 

Industry and Regulatory Standards

Algae industry leaders deploying a wide range of technologies heard from Lieve Laurens, Senior Scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on ABO’s latest efforts to establish a common language for the algae industry with Algae Industry Measurements 6.0.