BIOwaste Blog

Support the U.S. House Biomass Caucus

2011-08-04T07:49:11.182-07:00

I learned today that the Biomass Thermal Energy Council has praised the formation of a new BIOMASS CAUCUS in the U.S. House of Representatives.Led by Rep. Charlie Bass, R-N.H., and Peter Welch, D-VT., this coalition will seek to support the development of biomass and elevate the renewable resource's profile in Congress."We strongly support the creation of the Biomass Caucus and commend the

More Garbage from the CA Senate SEQ

2011-07-21T15:23:35.310-07:00

The Puente Hills Landfill is the largest operating sanitary landfill in the United States (and probably the world). It is scheduled to close in 2013.Now that AB 222 has finally "passed" through the Senate Environmental Quality Committee (SEQ), the question is, does the legislation meet the vision of what has passed through the full Assembly (54-13) and the Senate Utilities Committee (6-1) last

California's top energy, air quality, & recycling agencies support AB222

2010-04-22T21:55:03.720-07:00

Environmentalists must stop letting the perfect become the enemy of the possible.- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger For three years I have been writing about the frustrated attempts to get legislation passed through Sacramento that would enable the state's municipalities and utilities to permit diversion of municipal solid waste post-recyclables to conversion technologies that would recover energy,

Working together for MSW energy recovery

2010-03-13T07:40:46.852-08:00

SCWMF meeting attendees (left to right): Dr. Kay Martin, Chip Clements, Coby Skye, Rick Brandes, Tobie Mitchell, and Jim Stewart (11/2009 by Scott Miller)Last November the Southern California Waste Management Forum (SCWMF) met at its 38th annual meeting to discuss future directions for municipal solid waste management in the region. 2010 is an important year because time is running out before the

California's price for a failure to launch

2009-07-20T14:44:49.752-07:00

Chalk one up for the fossil energy status quo. Last Thursday, as a result of obstructive votes of five members of the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee (SEQ), a crucial piece of renewable energy legislation titled "Assembly Bill 222" has been delayed yet another year. Call it a failure to launch.If approved, this legislation would have responsibly (and with articulated recycling

California's showdown over waste feedstocks

2009-06-14T07:19:28.805-07:00

A showdown is looming in the California State Senate this summer over an issue that is at the heart of the nationwide drive to develop and deploy bioenergy conversion technologies.In a state that prides itself on its landmark achievements in outlining Global Warming Solutions (AB 32), Bioenergy Action plans, and Low Carbon Fuel Standards, access to some of the most sustainable feedstocks for

California reform needed to spur investment in conversion technologies

2009-04-26T15:39:34.196-07:00

Californians interested in supporting the clean conversion of post-recyclable waste streams into biopower and biofuels need to help support regulatory reform in Sacramento right now.California is the crucible for this issue because of its proud history for diverting municipal solid waste (MSW) from landfills through reduction, reuse, and recycling. However there still remains some 40 million tons

Sierra Club and Worldwatch: Gasification is a "Smart Choice" for Biofuels

2009-06-12T23:03:52.544-07:00

In February of this year the Worldwatch Institute and Sierra Club jointly released a report that supports the continued development of cellulosic biofuels using thermochemical means. From the report...“In the thermochemical platform, heat, pressure, chemical catalysts, and water are used to break down biomass in much the same way that petroleum is refined. Thermochemical technologies include

Green Collar Workers for the Renewable Energy Economy

2008-11-10T12:15:03.073-08:00

Perhaps the most overlooked issue for all sectors of the renewable energy paradigm is the availability of trained manpower. Maybe it should be the prime issue rather than a secondary one. It certainly will be once new technologies have emerged because widespread implementation and deployment will depend on the availability of a generation of new laborers for work that cannot be off-shored.A

The Greening of American Business

2008-11-03T10:18:42.877-08:00

Joel Makower comments on the opportunities and challenges presented by the green economyFor twenty years Joel Makower has been a prolific and insightful communicator about businesses and their role in developing environmentally sustainable practices. He has his own website and Two Steps Forward blog. Many recognize him for his frequent speaking engagements at Clean-tech, business, academic, and

California's Renewable Energy Disconnect

2008-10-26T16:44:34.670-07:00

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of VictoryCalifornia is a study of trends and counter-trends. On one hand we have an "Action" governor who commissions and signs executive orders like the California Bioenergy Action Plan that calls for collaboration between the State government, academia, NGOs, and private industry to tackle our energy deficit problem using bioenergy. The State also has a

California "discriminates" against thermochemical CTs

2008-08-21T10:51:28.446-07:00

Aligned with the goals of the California Bioenergy Action Plan there is a new amendment to a California Senate Bill (SB 1252) that seeks to expand the range of technologies that are sanctioned for the conversion of green and municipal waste into biofuels. It would, for instance, "greenlight" projects like the new BlueFire Ethanol demonstration facility being built in Lancaster, CA. Coming AFTER

Bioenergy Producers comment on California's Climate Change Scoping Plan

2008-11-12T23:55:07.488-08:00

California Senator David Roberti (ret.) is a public servant of the first magnitude for California. I have met Sen. Roberti several times and hold him in highest esteem for his intelligence, his leadership, his respect for the lawmaking process, and socially sensitive policymaking. During his 28 years of service in the California legislature and 13 years of service as President Pro Tem of the

CA Draft Scoping Plan comment:
Recycling and Waste

2008-11-12T23:55:08.316-08:00

This is one of a series of comments submitted to the California Air Resources Board for their draft version of the California Climate Change Draft Scoping Plan. Other BIOenergy BlogRing comments are linked here: • Challenge the Status Quo • Recycling and Waste • Sustainable Forests----------------The Draft Scoping Plan correctly identifies recycling and waste management as a focus area

Capturing energy from unrecycleable waste

2008-11-12T23:55:08.535-08:00

Implementing new technologies to solve chronic problems is hard work. A generation filled with expectations of instant gratification is sure to be frustrated by the seemingly slow pace of change to correct obvious environmental challenges. Take recycling for example. In the last twenty years we have made great strides to reduce, reuse and recycle trash from our waste streams as we hover around

Creating products from the residuals of bioconversion

2008-11-12T23:55:08.763-08:00

One of the true achievements that came from the development of the petroleum industry is the creative ways that have been found to dispose of refinery residuals. The entire plastics industry owes much to the innovation of chemical companies like DuPont who found ways to take the "sows ears" of petroleum and make "silk purses" out of them - fibers, plastics, fertilizers, and chemicals.

Navigating to Zero Waste in California

2008-11-12T23:55:08.940-08:00

The non-profit California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) recently held its 31st annual CRRA Conference and Trade Show in the coastal city of San Pedro in Los Angeles County attracting recycling professionals from throughout the state. The theme of this year's event was "Navigating to Zero Waste." As a global leader in the environmental sustainability field...The CRRA works to expand markets

Biomass and BioWaste Conference in Pittsburg this September

2008-11-12T23:55:09.207-08:00

I have been in touch with Dr. Ines Freesen about a new conference that her company is co-hosting that will take place between September 25-27th in Pittsburg, PA. While there is plenty of excitement about corn ethanol and the emerging technologies surrounding cellulosic ethanol, there is a dearth of press and conference content about the most revolutionary concept of all - converting municipal

Envirepel: Gasified waste-to-electricity in San Diego

2008-11-12T23:55:09.313-08:00

I received a welcomed message from Anthony Arand, CEO of Envirepel Energy, Inc. who wished to clarify and expand on what has been reported here on the SDG&E press release:I enjoyed reading your columns in trying to figure out what is our company really up to. Biomass diversion contracts? Honestly, that is the first time I have heard that terminology applied to a utility or us. Please allow me to

Green Waste Gasified to Electricity in CA

2008-11-12T23:55:09.681-08:00

Almost one year ago, I posted an entry on the diversion of green waste clippings from landfills to be used as biostock for a California utility electrical plant. The Bull Moose announcement was one of many planned by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) not only for biomass, but also solar and wind projects. Yesterday another similar biomass diversion contract was announced involving a different

May 2007 Digest

2008-11-12T23:55:09.891-08:00

Tying Energy Efficiency to Renewable EnergyLost in the rush to develop alternative energy technologies is the obvious value of making energy usage more efficient. As Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute would say, "a watt saved is a watt earned." This can be applied to biofuel usage as well. It is far cheaper to save energy than it is to produce more of it, particularly when existing

April 2007 Digest

2008-11-12T23:55:10.144-08:00

Woody Biomass - Energizing a new generationAmerica is witnessing the balkanization of its renewable energy portfolio. The sun belt is home to solar energy. The corn belt is home to ethanol. Landfill bioenergy is focused in urban areas. The nation's woodpiles are in the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast. Each region will have to come to grips with the economic, technical, environmental, and

Smokestack emissions as feedstock for ethanol

2008-11-12T23:55:10.234-08:00

Khosla Ventures is turning its eye onto new businesses that are developing bioconversion processes for turning smokestack emissions into marketable biofuels - mainly ethanol. Such technologies offer the prospect of retrofitting carbon spewing combustion furnaces and boilers with energy saving bioreactors that, with the right combination of nutrients and organisms, can feed on the toxic gases and

Hurdles to Waste Conversion Technologies

2008-11-12T23:55:10.569-08:00

At the 23rd Annual BioCycle West Coast Conference in San Diego April 16th, 2007, Coby Skye of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LA/DPW) gave a presentation about the hurdles waste conversion technologies (CTs) face in Southern California. Coby leads a group within the Solid Waste Management Committee/Integrated Waste Management Task Force (SWMC) that has been given the

BIOwaste 101: The BioTown Sourcebook

2008-11-12T23:55:10.974-08:00

For anyone who desires a simple introduction to the subject of Biomass Waste I suggest a careful reading of a brief technical overview document called The BioTown, USA Sourcebook of Biomass Energy (released in April, 2006). It was written for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture by scientist and fellow blogger, Mark Jenner, PhD. who has his own website called Biomass Rules. Mark is

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