Algae Amendment Puts Biofuels Back in Energy Debate

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We should all understand that the billions in subsidies of taxpayer money given away to the Oil companies is a price support - to keep the prices high and their profits astronomical.
This is no incentive for oil companies to want to have lower priced fuel solutions. Its great that our air force will soon be capable of refueling on grain (non-food grains like camelina that won't compete with food grains harvests). And it would be incredible to have gas fueling our cars by algae with prices down below a buck a gallon, again. But know that the oil companies are doing everything in their power to prevent this, to keep fuel commodity prices high, and to buy a government to continue to support their corrupt profiteering.

Lem of OH 11:54AM March 25, 2012

Republican lawmakers changed the Clean Energy act of 2007 into the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 which provided incentives and research impetus to the biofuels industry. This was a visionary move by the GOP, and current candidates should be rallying around it and the job creation it has spurred rather than criticizing its own efforts.
Algal-based biofuels had tremendous success in 2011, and have spurred investment into several publically traded initiatives.
Read about how the GOP is missing an opportunity here: http://wp.me/p262AN-4l

tcmirc of NC 12:44PM March 17, 2012

DOE BIOMASS PROGRAM AND ALGAE RESEARCHERS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED!
Solydra story is opening a huge can of worms at the DOE LOAN GURANTEE LOAN PROGRAM. Its not just about the Solar loan guarantee program. Look at all the millions in fees collected by the DOE LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM with algae projects less than 20% completed. An audit is being done on all DOE GRANTS to algae researchers and ndividuals from the DOE that are now working in private industry. Very incestuous!
The US taxpayer has spent over $2.5 billion dollars over the last 50 years on algae research. To date, nothing has been commercialized by any algae researcher.
The REAL question is: Does the DOE BIOMASS PROGRAM really want the US off of foreign oil or do they want to continue funding more grants for algae research to keep algae researchers employed at universities for another 50 years?
In business, you are not given 50 years to research anything. The problem is in the Congressional Mandate that says the DOE can only use taxpayer monies on algae research, NOT algae production in the US. So far, algae research has not got the US off of foreign oil for the last 50 years!
A Concerned Taxpayer
ARPA-E halts algae project, citing missed milestones
Jim Lane | February 16, 2012
Share"In Washington, the DOE has halted a research project at Iowa State University funded by ARPA-E to develop biofuel feedstock from an aquatic micro-organism for failing to reach research milestones. About 56% of the $4.4 million grant was used. Politicians against increasing APRA-E funding as proposed by President Obama’s new budget are using it and other halted ARPA-E projects as examples to reject the program."

anonymous of TX 9:45AM March 14, 2012

Great, but a few things seeing as how badly using corn for fuel rather than food has gone (shortages and higher prices for food corn). Will the algae be harvested from the wild, causing other species that eat it to die off (people harvesting algae will not be conservationists). What kind of damage will be done to the environment using algae? I am picturing dredgers and toxic muck by-products.
I am wary of green ideas that aren't thought through completely, that cause destruction in other ways. Green should be green all the way around, not something that simply shifts problems elsewhere.

ganmerlad of OR 8:52AM March 14, 2012

These new genetically modified algae (or phytoplankton) should be non toxic and prolific, so they could spread on all oceans, and be eaten from more zooplankton, giving more food to more fishes. Because 7 billion peoples need more fish to eat!
It would be catastrophic if these GMA would be toxic and prolific: zooplankton, then fishes, then humanity, would die.
In both case, our dark blue planet would transform into a cyan planet, consuming more CO2 then burning Carbon. The albedo would change, the planet would begin to cool down, for the next 100'000 years, until the next glaciation.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=glaciation+cycles&go=&qs=ds&form=QBLH&filt=all

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loveyou of AL 10:50PM March 13, 2012

These Sleazy Republicans don't know what they are talking about, again. The GOP and Big Oil want the big subsidizes/welfare while US consumers to keep paying through the nose at the gas pump.
Fortunately the Pentagon and the Administration are way ahead by getting our air force ready to be fueled by biofuels, from grain grown in America.
Sure biofuel from algae would be inexpensive, but politicians like Tom Coburn and Jim DeMinted are wholly owned subsidiaries of the oil and gas companies - who want to keep gas prices high.

Lem of OH 7:17PM March 13, 2012