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This summer, we’re bringing together bioenergy experts and stakeholders to collaborate on some of the most relevant, current, and critical issues to the growth and success of the bioeconomy today. We’ll be gathering for our conference, Bioenergy 2016: Mobilizing the Bioeconomy through Innovation, on July 12–14, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Clean Energy Research & Education Foundation.

The bioeconomy is the developing industry of biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower made from biomass—organic material made up of agricultural waste, grasses, forestry trimmings, and/or algae that can be used as raw material to produce energy. The Bioenergy Technologies Office co-funds advanced research, development, and demonstration projects at national laboratories, research centers, and private companies. These projects aim to both drive down the cost as well as achieve the environmental benefit potential of biofuels that are not yet commercially available and that are produced from nonfood biomass sources.

Biomass is the only renewable energy source that can offer a substitute for fossil fuel‒based, liquid transportation fuels in the near to mid-term. The United States has the capacity to produce more than 1 billion tons of sustainable biomass annually, which can be used to produce biofuel with reduced life-cycle carbon emissions for cars, trucks, and jets; renewable chemicals; and renewable power to supply the grid—equal to displacing about one-third of current petroleum consumption.

National laboratories first made this 1 billion-ton assessment in 2005, and we’re pleased this year at Bioenergy 2016 to present volume 1 of the 2016 Billion-Ton Report, which updates and expands that analysis of our nation’s biomass resource potential. We’ll also be releasing the Regional Feedstock Partnership Report—culminating seven years of research to enable the vision of a billion-ton bioeconomy.

This year's conference will focus on opportunities to grow future feedstock supplies and to break through technology barriers to achieve an even stronger bioeconomy. We have some exciting events and speakers lined up for you—distinguished congressional and session speakers, an agenda full of topics highly relevant to the bioenergy community, and many networking opportunities (plan ahead using the Attendee Networking Tool).

Watch our Bioenergy 2016 preview video to learn more. Then register for Bioenergy 2016 and invite your colleagues—more participation ensures more substantive and impactful dialogue.

Don’t miss your chance to take part in one of the most significant bioenergy conferences in the nation.

Jonathan Male
Dr. Jonathan Male is the former director for the Bioenergy Technologies Office. In this role, he led the Office’s work to lower costs, reduce technical risk, and accelerate deployment of bioenergy and renewable chemicals technologies.
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