Southwestern Biofuels Association, Renewable Energy and Biodiesel

An expert group is being formed to create an informed state policy for biofuels that will result in a sustainable statewide biofuels industry ecologically well suited to the Southwest.

December 15, 2009 »
NM, Other States Compete for Energy Development
Albuquerque, NM – New Mexico has invited dozens of scientists, industry experts and others from across the nation to help develop a strategy for growing the state's biofuels industry. Read more »

December 9, 2009 »
New Mexico Leaders Announce Strategic Inititiative to Develop Sustainable Biofuels Industry
Santa Fe, NM (December 9, 2009) – Gov. Bill Richardson and the New Mexico congressional delegation today launched an initiative to develop a statewide strategic plan to make New Mexico a national leader in the emerging biofuels industry. Read more »

November 11, 2009 »
Camelina Cleared Another Hurdle for the Future Success and Adoption of the New Biodiesel Feedstock
Biodiesel Magazine (November 11, 2009 post) – The North American Camelina Trade Association announced Nov. 10 that it received approval from the Center for Veterinary Medicine, a department of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for the use of camelina meal in the diets of feedlot beef cattle up to 10 percent of the weight of the total ration. Read more »

August 10, 2009 »
SWBA Endorses Bipartisan Senate Push for Biodiesel Standards
Albuquerque, NM (August 10, 2009) – The Southwestern Biofuels Association (SWBA) (www.swbiofuels.org) today announced its support for a bipartisan coalition in the U.S. Senate calling on President Barack Obama to keep the U.S. biodiesel industry alive by immediately implementing the biomass-based diesel mandate required under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). Read more »

Call for Technical Presentations and Posters for the SWBA Biofuels Policy Summit April 13- 14, 2010, Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Get a full list of Proposed Topics, Submission Deadlines, and all other information about the submission process.

SWBA Biofuels Policy Summit Submission Information »

Register now for the SWBA Biofuels Policy Summit April 13- 14, 2010, Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The two-day meeting once again will host our most respected energy and environmental leaders from the federal, state, industrial and research arenas. The unique gathering of experts will focus on the obstacles and solutions to develop biofuels in the Southwest. This year promises to attract the best and the brightest from the political, scientific, business and policy arena.

View Agenda » Register » Book a room at the Embassy Suites »

Financial Assistance Funding Opportunity Announcement »

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), hereby announce their interest in receiving applications for genomics-based research that will lead to the improved use of biomass and plant feedstocks for the production of fuels such as ethanol or renewable chemical feedstocks.

Sapphire Energy Vice President Tim Zenk is named SWBA Chairman

The Board of Directors unanimously elected Zenk who is Vice President of Government Affairs for the algae based company whose goal is to be the world's leading producer of renewable petrochemical products. Zenk is part of the Sapphire team that has built a scientifically superior platform that uses photosynthetic microorganisms to convert sunlight, and CO2 into carbon-neutral alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. "Tim has spent much of his distinguished career shaping public policy - in helping leaders become better leaders and the public become more educated about key issues impacting the nation and the globe," said Vaughn Gangwish, SWBA's Executive Director. "Tim's more than 20 years of rich experience has taken him from the front lines of Washington D.C., to the back roads of the Middle East, and now he will put that experience and skill to work at SWBA. We are extremely pleased to have him lead our efforts."

Legislation Introduced

New Mexico Congressman Harry Teague has introduced the "Biofuels Engineering Training Act" this Session. The legislation jumpstarts the development of the academic field of biofuels engineering by providing a grant for an organization like ABET to study what the accreditation standards should be for biofuels engineering programs. The bill also provides for resources to institutions of higher education to support under grad and graduate biofuels engineering programs and biofuels engineering training centers, and cooperation between those programs and the national labs. Government fellowships for biofuels engineering students also would be available if the bill becomes law.

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