GPI congratulates our own Amanda Bilek, who manages GPI’s government affairs and has a deep background in bioenergy, for being recognized as a ‘Biogas Bolsterer’ by Biomass Magazine. The magazine has recognized four exceptional business leaders who have made notable contributions to the evolving biogas industry. Continue reading »
Bioeconomy Bill Introduced in the Minnesota Legislature
March 5, 2014 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan
Senator Tom Saxhaug, and Representative Jeanne Poppe have introduced a bill in the Minnesota legislature to help establish an advanced biofuel and renewable chemicals industry in Minnesota. The Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota, a multi-stakeholder partnership, is strongly supportive and will be working closely with Sen. Saxhaug and Rep. Poppe to advance the bill during the 2014 legislative session.Biogas Projects Can Help Establish Energy Crop Supply
January 25, 2014 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
The U.S. biogas sector has done an outstanding job developing projects using livestock manure, landfill gas and municipal biosolids to generate clean energy. Although there is still a large amount of untapped potential to use these three feedstock sources, the use of crop residues and energy crops are completely underutilized in the U.S. biogas market. International biogas project development experience has demonstrated that the use of crop residues and energy crops are valuable feedstocks to produce increased levels of biogas and project stability.Biogas a Combined Heat and Power Opportunity
November 16, 2013 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
In previous columns, I have focused on the use of biogas as a transportation fuel, which holds enormous, untapped potential. However, my introduction to biogas energy systems was through projects that use biogas to produce electricity and then capture thermal energy from the generator for a useful purpose. This process is better known as combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration. Continue reading »
Infrastructure Critical to Biogas as Transportation Fuel
October 7, 2013 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
While many of you are familiar with the use of biogas as a means for powering or heating our homes and businesses, I believe that the use of biogas as a transportation fuel is the least well-known and understood application for this versatile and greenhouse gas reducing resource. For this reason, my previous columns have focused on the vast potential of biogas as fuel for our vehicles. If this potential is to be reached, however, a critical component of the plan needs to be addressed first: infrastructure.Biogas as Transportation Fuel: A Strong Start
July 22, 2013 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
In my last Biomass Magazine column, I wrote about the enormous potential of biogas in meeting our transportation needs and as a component of a diverse fuel mix. New projects and data are demonstrating that biogas as a transportation fuel is no longer a vision, but a market reality. Under both the federal renewable fuel standard 2 (RFS2) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, biogas is an emerging contributor to a diverse, low-carbon fuel mix. While progress is encouraging, there is still a large amount of untapped potential, leaving plenty of room for expansion and opportunity for innovative project models.Biogas Contributes to a Diverse Renewable Fuel Mix
May 21, 2013 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda Bilek
Biogas energy systems have typically been considered a source of renewable electricity and/or combined heat and power, but several projects across the U.S. are demonstrating the suitability of biogas as a transportation fuel. Using biogas as a supply source of lower-carbon, domestic, renewable fuel is an exciting prospect, even in the face of abundant natural gas supplies and low prices. Continue reading »
I am honored to be writing my first column for Biomass Magazine focused on the U.S. biogas sector. I have worked on biogas energy systems for the past decade, and it is exciting to finally be at a point where increased interest in this valuable and underutilized technology is starting to build. But make no mistake, there is far more work to be done to fully take advantage of the enormous potential of biogas. Continue reading »
The United States produces enough organic waste to exceed EPA’s volume requirements for advanced biofuels every year for the next decade. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates the use billions of gallons of advanced biofuel every year, from 2.75 billion in 2013 to 21 billion in 2022. The US could potentially produce as much as 29 billion equivalent gallons of biogas made from organic waste each year. This fact sheet uses data from a national assessment of renewable natural gas commissioned by the American Gas Association to document the currently untapped potential of organic waste streatms to supply reneawble energy.
The United States has an enormous amount of untapped potential for collecting biogas from organic waste streams to produce useful forms of energy. Most of the U.S. biogas development in the last 20 years has used dairy manure as a feedstock source. Development has also occurred at wastewater treatment facilities or food processing facilities with a wastewater stream. Continue reading »
