DOE to Invest Nearly $18 Million for Advanced Biofuels User Facility
On March 31, DOE announced its Lawrence Berkeley National Lab will build an advanced biofuels process development facility using $18 million in Recovery Act funds.
The new lab, called the Advanced Biofuels Process Development Unit, will speed commercialization of advanced biofuels by allowing researchers and the private sector to test and integrate innovative technologies.
Planned capabilities include biomass pretreatment, enzyme production, fermentation for the production of multiple biofuels, and product purification in quantities sufficient for engine testing at partner institutions. The facility will be available for public use when it becomes fully operational in early 2011.
The facility will contribute to the goals of DOE's Biomass Program, which has awarded nearly $718 million in Recovery Act funds to speed the growth of a sustainable U.S. bioindustry. These investments will help industry reach the mandated production requirements for advanced biofuels, which increase from 950 million gallons per year in 2010 to 21 billion gallons by 2022.
Advanced biofuels are expected to reduce GHG emissions and can be produced from diverse non-food biomass such as forestry and agricultural residues, mill wastes, energy crops, and sorted municipal solid waste. See the DOE press release and the Biomass Program Web site.
DOE Sets Tough Standards for Home Heating Equipment
DOE announced on April 1 that it finalized more stringent energy efficiency standards for a key group of heating appliances that will together save citizens up to $10 billion and prevent 164 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the 30 years after they take effect.
The standards apply to residential water heaters, pool heaters, and direct heating equipment such as gas fireplaces. They will cut energy consumption of large electric storage water heaters by 47% and of large gas-fired water heaters by more than 30%. The standards for water heaters go into effect in 2015, while the standards for pool heaters and direct heating equipment-including gas-fired wall, floor, and hearth heaters-will apply to products manufactured in 2013 and beyond. On average, these products account for about 18% of the energy use in U.S. homes.
Under the Obama Administration, DOE has accelerated the pace for finalizing new appliance standards and has placed new resources and emphasis behind the enforcement of these important standards. Since President Obama came to office, DOE has issued or codified new efficiency standards for more than 20 different products, which will save consumers between $250 and $300 billion on their energy bills through 2030. See the DOE press release, the final rule (PDF 1.7 MB), and the Web site for DOE's Appliances and Equipment Standards Program.
Report Proposes National Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation
A recent federal government report finds that climate change is already affecting the ability of federal agencies to fulfill their missions and recommends a national strategy for climate change adaptation. The task force that produced the report includes the participation of more than 20 federal entities.
