OIT Times: DOE Integrating Bio-Products and Bio-Energy Programs

March 20, 2002

The Agriculture Team and other OIT Teams are working with other DOE offices to more fully integrate DOE biobased products and bioenergy programs under DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). In addition to OIT, others involved in the effort include DOE Office of Photo of a Man Carrying Corn

Transportation Technologies, Office of Power Technologies, Doug Kaempf, (DOE biobased products and bioenergy coordinator), and Doug Faulkner (DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for EERE). The initiative is aligned with and responsive to the Biomass R&D Act of 2000, and the new National Energy Policy. Biobased products and bioenergy include chemicals and materials, fuels such as ethanol, and the generation of electricity and heat from biomass feedstock such as crops, crop residues, trees, forest residues and animal wastes.

What will this mean to OIT customers? Now, people looking for information will find one-stop shopping, whereas before it might have felt like multi-stop shopping among several DOE offices and programs,explains Mark Paster, Agriculture Team Leader.

In the near future, EERE will release biobased products and bioenergy solicitations in a coordinated and integrated fashion. ee emphasizing solicitations in technologies that cut across and impact products, fuels, and power,explains Paster. ore emphasis will also be placed on the biorefinery concept where at least two out of the three of bioproducts, biofuels and biopower will be produced at one facility. This can optimize the use of all the biomass most efficiently,he said.