When we think of renewable energy, solar energy and wind energy are usually the first ones that come to mind. However, there’s a type of energy that’s generated from different kinds of biomass that is also the fastest growing renewable energy in recent years (up by 30% since 2018). It’s called bioenergy, and it’s one of the most promising options to replace fossil fuels.
More than 300,000 students, teachers, and families across the country have been engaged in learning about what bioenergy can do to reduce carbon emissions and provide good jobs through a collaborative approach to science outreach adopted by the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
People have used biomass energy—energy from living things—since the earliest homonids first made wood fires for cooking or keeping warm. Today, biomass is used to fuel electric generators and other machinery.
The Bioenergy Research and Education Bridge Program (BRIDGES) is a brand-new case study-based education curriculum created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as well as education, community, industry, and other government partners.
Imagine an emergency vehicle that can provide reliable power to disaster recovery sites, operating in near silence and emitting only water vapor. H2Rescue is precisely that.
In the wake of a disaster, communities are displaced, and critical infrastructure is down. Emergency response efforts help provide necessities such as warm shelter, medical supplies, food, and water by using gasoline and diesel generators. These generators can provide critical power, but they burn fuel quickly, emit carbon dioxide, and produce high noise levels.
In a discovery aimed at accelerating the development of process-advantaged crops for jet biofuels, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed a capability to insert multiple genes into plants in a single step.
More than 200 researchers gathered in June to share progress on the pursuit of scientific innovations for sustainable aviation fuel and a robust bioeconomy at the Center for Bioenergy Innovation’s 2023 annual science meeting.
Researchers at Washington State University have developed a patented process that turns lignin from agricultural waste into bio-based jet fuel.
The research, published in the journal Fuel, is touted for producing material properties that are critical to jet engine operation, including seal swell, density, efficiency and emissions. The authors noted that the sustainable lignin-based fuel could be mixed with other biofuels. To boot, it could replace petroleum-derived fuels, they said.
Imagine flying from Los Angeles to the Washington, D.C. region on a plane fueled with American farm products or forestry waste. Sounds farfetched? Well, it is already becoming a reality. Thanks to U.S. production of sustainable aviation fuel, airlines can help address climate change and create rural jobs by using this fuel option. That’s why USDA, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Energy announced a “Grand Challenge” to support the production of 35 billion gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) per year by 2050.
Energy emissions from industry and transport could be cut to zero by 2060 with pro-active policies and investments. Renewables will be crucial
