Algal Biofuel Production

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The Obama administration, under the direction of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, is investing up to $78 million of economic stimulus money in biomass technologies, including algae. Biofuels are considered critical to a future of clean and sustainable energy sources. More information can be found in this story from the Environment News Service.

In January, the Tribal P2 Monthly Conference Call featured Steve Crawford, Environmental Director of Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, Maine. The Passamaquoddy Tribe's energy mission statement is to be 100% self-sufficient in energy, and they are working towards that goal by developing Algae Biofuel, Tidal Energy, and Wind Energy. Steve described his pilot project – production of 500 gallons of heating oil from cultured algae. Read more in the meeting minutes.

Additional algae biofuel production resources

• Several University of Arizona researchers are part of a consortium that has just received a U.S. Department of Energy grant totaling more than $44 million that is intended to bring more sustainable and economically sound algae-based biofuels to market.
• How Algal Biofuels Lost a Decade in the Race to Replace Oil
• Study examines the costs and benefits of algae as abiofuel (NY Times Energy and Environment Blog)
• Southern Utes explore algae as a biofuel
• The big guys (Exxon Mobil) are giving it a test run
• Scientific American: Is Algae the Biofuel of the Future?
• The Algae Lab at the Shipyard in Berkeley, CA offers periodic workshops. You can email them to receive information about upcoming workshops
• The U.S. Department of Energy's Tribal Energy Program has created a Web site and Guide to assist tribal communities in developing energy resources, including biodiesel production. The Guide to Tribal Energy Development includes steps to determine the feasibility of your project and all the related issues — the environment, economics, risk factors, legal issues, financing, etc. The site includes many of the forms and documents your tribe may need when developing energy resources on your tribal lands.
• Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (NW SEED) has published a guidebook, Energy Planning: A Guide for NW Indian Tribes, which was designed as a tool to help Native American tribes develop a plan to achieve energy independence. The guide contains information and resources to help select and implement projects to conserve energy, generate clean, renewable energy, construct efficient and environmentally friendly buildings and other energy related community or business projects — all tailored to the geography of the Northwest and the people of its tribes.
• US EPA Region 9's Fat to Fuel webpage contains information on biodiesel as an alternative fuel, resource documents, and links to funding opportunities.

Upcoming Trainings

• Planning on being in India this April?! Check out this Summit, entirely devoted to algae biofuel
• A bit closer to home is the National Algae Association which is sponsoring a Las Vegas Conference in Feb, highlighting the latest innovations in algae growing technologies.