Sustainable Bioenergy, Farms, and Forests - May 13, 2016

Interest Outstrips Availability for USDA Farm Conservation Program

On May 5, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that USDA had completed the most competitive sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in its 30-year history. CRP pays landowners to retire working farm land to establish environmentally beneficial species, such as grasses and trees, to control erosion, improve water quality and wildlife habitat. The most recent enrollment under CRP issued contracts for 411,000 acres, with demand for the program reaching 1.8 million acres. Under the 2014 Farm Bill, acreage caps for CRP have fallen from 37 million acres, in 2007, to 24 million acres in 2016. 

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Feds Announce $100 Million in Biofuels, Bioproducts, Biopower Funding

On May 6, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced $90 million in funding for the design and construction of integrated biorefineries, through the Financial Opportunity Announcement “Project Development for Pilot and Demonstration Scale Manufacturing of Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biopower.” The funding will be directed towards pilot and demonstration scale production of biofuels from cellulosic, algal and biogas feedstocks, as well as the production of biopower or biofuels from waste water treatment and other organic wastes.

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Headlines

1. House Bill Would Codify Ethanol Blend Wall

2. Boating and Engine Experts Call on Lawmakers to Boost Biofuel Blends

3. Energy Secretary Moniz: U.S. Must be Energy Independent

4. California Landfill-Gas-to-Energy Project Begins Operations

5. EIA Projects 48% Increase in World Energy Consumption by 2040

 

EESI Briefing:

Mapping Environmental Justice: How Can You Use EPA’s EJSCREEN Tool?

Thursday, May 19
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

SD-G11 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE

Please RSVP to expedite check-in

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a briefing presenting the Environmental Protection Agency’s EJSCREEN, a mapping and environmental justice screening tool that EPA developed to help fulfill its responsibility to protect public health and the environment. The tool, freely available to the public online, enables users to compare environmental and demographic information in locations across the country. EPA uses EJSCREEN to find communities that may qualify for extra consideration, engagement and analysis as the agency develops its enforcement, compliance and permitting strategies. Stakeholders outside of EPA may also find EJSCREEN helpful for community awareness projects, education, research, and many other uses. EJSCREEN can show users where minority and low-income areas are located, the demographics in these communities, and the environmental issues they face. How can you use EJSCREEN to learn more about environmental justice issues in your city, town, or Congressional district?

 

Briefing Re-Cap: 

The Changing U.S. Energy Landscape: 2016 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) held a briefing providing information on the rapid changes occurring in the U.S. energy sector. The findings of the 2016 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook show that the U.S. energy sector, and the power sector in particular, have experienced unprecedented growth in newer, cleaner sources of energy. The briefing featured an overview presentation by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) on the findings from the Factbook, followed by a moderated industry panel with senior executives from a range of clean energy industries. Check out the briefing re-cap for a full summary. 

GET THE FACTS: Download the Factbook here: www.bcse.org/sustainableenergyfactbook.

 

To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at [email protected]

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