Biofuels Center president and CEO Steven Burke presented the keynote address at N.C. A&T State University's inaugural two-day conference, "Green and Sustainable Technology: Research and Workforce Development" on 18 November 2010 in Greensboro. The conference gathered over 200 energy professionals from all over the world to discuss green energy, green buildings, green manufacturing, and workforce development.

Mr. Burke's address, "Changing the Landscape: Moving Biofuels from Vision to Strategy, Farms, and Gain," kicked off the event, which included sessions on producing biodiesel from waste and integrating biodiesel into mainstream markets.

Fitting the spirit of the two-day event, the conference was held at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, the first LEED Certified Platinum hotel in the country; the hotel uses 39% less energy and 33% less water compared to conventional hotels.

In mid-October 2010, the North Carolina Utilities Commission issued an order with long-term implications for the state’s renewable energy and biofuels sectors. The commission’s order concluded that the state’s renewable energy law, Senate Bill 3, allows for the harvesting and chipping of whole trees as a source of fuel for the production of electricity. 

The case originated from a request by Duke Energy to register two facilities as “renewable energy facilities” in which Duke had co-fired wood biomass fuel in combination with coal. The request was challenged on the grounds that Senate Bill 3 did not include wood biomass from whole trees as an eligible renewable energy fuel. The commission based its ruling on finding that “(t)he language of the statute demonstrates that the General Assembly did not intend to limit the scope of biomass resources qualifying as renewable energy resources to those resources specifically listed within the statute.”

While the ruling provides some level of clarity, the discussions continue on biomass policy. The state’s Environmental Management Commission (EMC), which has authority for setting environmental standards for renewable energy facilities, heard a presentation on the Utilities Commission order at its November meeting. Several EMC members expressed interest in exploring the possibility of harvesting guidelines or other environmental safeguards that could work in tandem with the Utilities Commission order.

The Biofuels Center will continue to support the development of policies and sustainability standards for biomass that realistically balance economic, agricultural, and environmental considerations.

In late October 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced revised rules to govern the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). BCAP was established in the 2008 Farm Bill to provide incentives for the establishment and cultivation of biomass crops to be utilized for heat, power, and biofuels.

The updated rule language was intended to make the BCAP program more efficient and ensure that incentive payments are helping to develop bioenergy markets. The rule provides matching payments for the harvest, collection, and transportation of biomass to biomass conversion facilities. The rule also provides landowners with payments to establish bioenergy crops and up to five years of annual payments for grassy crops and up to 15 years of annual payments for woody crops. The USDA estimates the total expenditures for BCAP at $461 million over the next 15 years.

The Biofuels Center is pleased to have received 54 pre-proposals for the 2010-2011 grants program, Twelve Bold Innovative Projects: Accelerating Biofuels Commercialization Across North Carolina. A wide range of submissions came from 30 different North Carolina-based, non-profit organizations located across the state.

The total funding of $1,608,500 will be awarded after the full proposals are submitted for review 30 December 2010. The Biofuels Center is pleased to have received such a wide array of diverse and worthy project proposals. The large number of proposed projects is evidence of the growing biofuels community in North Carolina, and is a reflection of the important and timely work already underway in the biofuels sector.