B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened registration for the 101st Agricultural Outlook Forum. The event, entitled “Meeting Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today,” will be held at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, on February 27-28, 2025. Additionally, USDA will livestream all Forum sessions on a virtual platform. According to USDA, the program will feature a presentation on the 2025 outlook for the U.S. agricultural economy and trade by USDA Chief Economist...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 29, 2024, that it is awarding $39 million in grants to U.S. business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 18 states and provide cleaner, more affordable fuel options. USDA will also make $200 million available through the new Biobased Market Access and Development Grants made possible by Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds. According to USDA, the awards and funding are made possible through the Higher...

In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk relative to non-modified comparators: SoilCea, sweet orange with improved resistance to citrus greening; Pioneer, corn with fungal disease resistance; GreenLab, Inc., modified corn to produce an enzyme that degrades cellulose and for herbicide resistance to...

On October 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2024-74 for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) credit created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). According to the IRS’ October 18, 2024, press release, the SAF credit ranges from $1.25 to $1.75 for each gallon of SAF in a qualified mixture. To qualify for the credit, the SAF must have a minimum reduction of 50 percent in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG)...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) will hold its annual stakeholder meeting on November 14, 2024. The meeting will take place in person at the USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, Maryland, with an option for virtual attendance. The meeting agenda includes the following items: Program Highlights: An overview of BRS’ fiscal year (FY) 2024 successes; Regulatory Status Review...

On October 2, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the release of a new web-based tool on the Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation for companies that develop microbial biotechnology products. EPA notes that biotechnology products include plants, animals, and microorganisms developed through genetic engineering or the targeted manipulation of genetic information. According to EPA,...

On September 26, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of the 2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for new and innovative green chemistry technologies. According to EPA, the winners have developed chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation and use of hazardous substances, use less energy, and are more sustainable. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) announced on September 12, 2024, the availability of the following updated resources to help developers more efficiently prepare and submit APHIS BRS permit applications: Permit User Guide -- Implements stakeholder feedback to clarify information requirements and how BRS uses the information when reviewing permit applications, provides tips on efficiently...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the 2024 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners on September 24, 2024. EPA recognized the 43 award winners for their achievements in the design, manufacture, promotion, selection, and use of cleaners, detergents, and other products with safer chemicals. EPA notes the following achievements among the winners: Improving Access to Products with Safer Ingredients: Many Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners showed leadership in...

On September 13, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a public comment period on a proposed update to its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (Recommendations) that help federal government purchasers and other buyers use private sector standards and ecolabels to buy products that are more sustainable and climate-friendly and contain safer chemical ingredients. 89 Fed. Reg. 74940. In its September 10, 2024, press release, EPA...

The Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants (BRAG) program supports the development of new information that will assist federal regulatory agencies in making evidence-based decisions about the effects of genetically engineered organisms on the environment. BRAG is co-administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and jointly funded by NIFA, ARS, and USDA’s Forest Service. NIFA announced on...

On August 20, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced seven additional awards to bioindustrial firms via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP), bringing the DBIMP to 13 awards to date totaling $23 million. The following companies will receive funding to produce business and technical plans that detail construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing production facilities: Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, was awarded $1.85 million to plan a facility for...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on September 4, 2024, that its Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) is overseeing a call for industry partnerships to connect industry stakeholders with the capabilities of the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC). According to DOE, the funding opportunity will provide resources that allow partners to collaborate with FCIC researchers to address the cost and risk impacts of feedstock and process variability across the bioenergy and...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 29, 2024, that it is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from companies or institutions that have developed a new green chemistry process or product that helps protect human health and the environment. According to EPA, its “efforts to speed the adoption of this revolutionary and diverse discipline have led to significant environmental benefits, innovation and a strengthened economy.” EPA...

On August 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it recently reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk relative to non-modified comparators: University of Florida, two submissions, a sweet orange and a grapefruit with disease tolerance to citrus greening, also called Huanglongbing (HLB); and Bioceres Crop Solutions, wheat with...

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Biomaterials Program published a request for information (RFI) on August 20, 2024. NSF requests input from stakeholders on opportunities, challenges, emerging areas, and frontiers in biomaterials research. 89 Fed. Reg. 67498. According to NSF, the RFI will help inform future program directions, new initiatives, and potential funding opportunities. The Biomaterials Program supports fundamental materials research related to biological materials;...

On August 1, 2024, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act of 2024 (S. 4931), bipartisan legislation that would “advance the manufacturing of renewable biochemicals from domestic biomass in the United States by creating a tax credit for the production of these chemicals by American companies.” According to Brown’s August 13, 2024, press release, the legislation would help to build new markets for domestically produced biomass, advance...

On August 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) announced a new flexibility for BRS importation permits in APHIS eFile. APHIS states that it has implemented a new flexibility allowing permit holders to reuse import labels. According to APHIS, permit holders no longer need to request additional labels if they have used all the import labels received with their permit. APHIS notes that...

On July 31, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced the release of the first two parts of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) State-of-Industry Report. Released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in partnership with BETO, the report focuses on how to achieve the near-term fuel production goals set forth in the SAF Grand Challenge, a joint effort between DOE, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Department of...

The Agile BioFoundry’s (ABF) 2024 Industry Day will be held virtually on September 12, 2024. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), ABF aims to develop biomanufacturing tools, processes, and partnerships that enable sustainable industrial production of renewable fuels and chemicals. Attendees will: Learn about ABF’s strategy to support U.S. biomanufacturing and current industry needs; Discover ABF’s biomanufacturing tools; Hear more about...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) will hold its annual stakeholder meeting on November 14, 2024. The meeting will take place in person at the USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, Maryland, with an option for virtual attendance. The meeting will include updates on: Highlights from fiscal year 2024; Priorities for fiscal year 2025; and Business process improvements. BRS requests...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on July 18, 2024, that it selected 13 small businesses to develop innovative biobased products and biomass processing technologies. The companies, located across ten states, have been selected to receive up to $206,500 each for this Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) award. According to BETO, of the 13 awards, six are first-time awardees, four are located in Historically Underutilized Business...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) intends to issue in September 2024 an Industrial Partnership Call (IPC) to allow collaboration between industry stakeholders and FCIC researchers. According to BETO, research areas may include biomass supply, handling, transport, storage, preprocessing, and initial chemical conversion. To maximize the likelihood of near-term impact for industrial partners, BETO...

On July 10, 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it issued frequently asked questions (FAQ) in Fact Sheet 2024-25 related to which entities must apply for registration for the Clean Fuel Production Credit. As reported in our June 10, 2024, blog item, the Inflation Reduction Act allows a credit for the production of clean transportation fuels beginning on January 1, 2025. To claim a Clean Fuel Production Credit, the taxpayer must be registered as a producer of clean fuel at the...

On July 5, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its spring 2024 Unified Agenda, which includes the following items regarding biobased products and biotechnology: Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program: The Higher Blends Infrastructure Program is designed to increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS)...

On June 27, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it recently reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk relative to non-modified comparators: Plants modified for altered product quality: CoverCress, two pennycresses; Hjelle Advisors, rice; and Toolgen, soybean; Plant modified for increased yield: Inari, two soybeans; Plant modified...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks public input on procedures for the quantification, reporting, and verification of the effect of climate-smart farming practices on the greenhouse gas (GHG) net emissions estimates associated with the production of domestic (i.e., grown in the United States) agricultural commodities used as biofuel feedstocks. 89 Fed. Reg. 53585. According to USDA’ s June 27, 2024, notice, agricultural management practices that mitigate GHG emissions and/or...

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a fact sheet on June 25, 2024, on the Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s actions to advance American biotechnology and biomanufacturing. According to the fact sheet, on June 25, 2024, the White House, members of the National Bioeconomy Board, and the U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE), Defense (DOD), and Agriculture (USDA) convened major biotechnology and biomanufacturing companies, nonprofits, and other stakeholders to...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on June 25, 2024, that it will soon publish a request for information (RFI) in the Federal Register, beginning a 60-day public comment period. According to APHIS, the RFI will explore options to reduce the regulatory burden for modified microbes. APHIS states that it developed the RFI in response to stakeholder requests. Specifically, APHIS will request comments to help identify: Potential...

On May 31, 2024, the Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2024-49 for the Clean Fuel Production Credit. The Inflation Reduction Act allows a credit for the production of clean transportation fuels beginning on January 1, 2025. For purposes of the Clean Fuel Production Credit, transportation fuel is divided into two broad categories of fuel: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and non-SAF transportation fuel. According to the IRS, the...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on May 30, 2024, that it recently reviewed the following plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they pose an increased plant pest risk relative to non-modified comparators: Pioneer, corn with insect and herbicide resistance; CoverCress, pennycress with altered product quality; Qi Biodesign, soybean with altered product quality; and Michigan State University, two...

On May 23, 2024, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) issued a press release applauding its Congressional Commissioners -- Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Todd Young (R-IN) and Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) -- for introducing the legislative recommendations from its first report. The press release states that recognizing that food security and agricultural supply chains are key elements of national security, NSCEB developed its first...

On June 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO) Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio) will hold a webinar on artificial intelligence (AI) for catalysis. BETO states that “AI has the potential to play a crucial role in accelerated catalyst design, discovery, and optimization of chemical processes for decarbonization.” Using AI tools such as machine learning, deep learning, and large language models, “researchers can uncover...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on May 23, 2024, that it released a Summary Report from a September 2023 Request for Information (RFI) on building supply chains to meet Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge goals. The RFI requested input from industry, academia, national laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for developing effective supply chains capable of meeting the SAF Grand...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on May 22, 2024, that it awarded $2.18 million in funding to four additional projects as part of the Feedstock-Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) 2023 Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) call. BETO states that the FCIC, funded and led by BETO, is a consortium of researchers at nine national laboratories dedicated to reducing the technical risks of biorefinery scale-up. BETO notes that...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced on May 7, 2024, the release of the “Progression of Net-Zero Emission Propulsion Technologies for the Off-Road Sector Request for Information” (RFI). Jointly released with DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), the purpose of the RFI is to understand the off-road sector alternative propulsion technology preferences, technologies that seem most...

On April 22, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to restructure and update the regulations to focus on current environmental and sustainability matters and to implement a requirement for agencies to procure sustainable products and services to the maximum extent practicable. 89 Fed. Reg. 30212. The final rule adds several...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on April 23, 2024, that it is funding more than 700 clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to domestic biofuels, and create jobs and new market opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. According to USDA, many of the projects are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, “the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis.” USDA is providing $238 million in...

The Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) consortium, wants to hear questions, comments, or concerns to help find ways to increase the benefits and decrease the burden of new industry on communities. ChemCatBio states that to be successful in its mission, it needs to reduce barriers to deployment of new technologies and build or update chemical manufacturing. In alignment with government objectives, it...

On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced the MACRO: Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity funding opportunity announcement (FOA). According to BETO, the FOA will award up to $18.8 million to address research and development (R&D) challenges in converting algae, such as seaweeds and other wet waste feedstocks, to biofuels and bioproducts that can decarbonize domestic...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 19, 2024, that it issued an emergency fuel waiver for E15 sales. EPA states that the waiver will help consumers protect themselves against fuel supply shocks by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels while also supporting American agriculture and manufacturing. EPA notes that current estimates indicate that “on average, E15 is about $0.25 a gallon cheaper than E10.” According to EPA, in approximately two-thirds of the...

On April 10, 2024, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a request for information (RFI) about potential amendments to the electronic or digital link disclosure option as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard). 89 Fed. Reg. 25187. Responses are due June 10, 2024. Background As amended in 2016, the Agricultural Marketing Act requires USDA to establish a national mandatory standard for disclosing any...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will hold an informational webinar on April 16, 2024, on the recently released 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23), an assessment of renewable carbon resources potentially available in the United States. BETO notes that BT23 shows that the United States could sustainably triple its production of biomass to more than one billion tons per year and highlights the importance of diversifying...

On March 28, 2024, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requested information about potential additions to or subtractions from the List of Bioengineered Foods (List) as it pertains to the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (Standard). 89 Fed. Reg. 21484. Under 7 C.F.R. Section 66.1, a bioengineered food is a food that -- subject to certain factors, conditions, and limitations -- contains detectable genetic material that has been...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 3, 2024, that it has rescheduled its public webinar to discuss the implementation of the Biogas Regulatory Reform Rule (BRRR) provisions promulgated as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) final rule for 2023-2025 (the Set Rule) to April 12, 2024. 89 Fed. Reg. 23013. During the webinar, EPA intends to discuss various aspects of the BRRR program, including: The implementation timeline for BRRR; An implementation overview of...

On March 15, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of the Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO) 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23), the fourth in a series of assessments of potential biomass resources available in the United States. BT23 provides estimates of biomass resource potential in response to market demand scenarios. According to DOE, BT23 finds that one billion tons of biomass could satisfy more than 100 percent of the projected demand for airplane fuel in the...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on March 22, 2024, that it has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) and draft plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) evaluating the potential environmental impacts and plant pest risk that may result from the approval of a petition for nonregulated status for maize developed using genetic engineering for dicamba, glufosinate, quizalofop, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid...

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) published a report on March 22, 2024, on “Gene-Edited Plants: Regulation and Issues for Congress.” Gene-edited plants are regulated under the U.S. Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology, which coordinates how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulate biotechnology products to ensure their safety. Over time, the agencies have been...

The European Commission (EC) announced on March 20, 2024, that it has proposed a series of targeted actions to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the European Union (EU). The EC states that its March 20, 2024, Communication on Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU “identifies the challenges and barriers and proposes to tackle them, in line with the Communication on the long-term competitiveness of the EU.” According to the EC, the EU...

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced on March 22, 2024, the launch of the National Bioeconomy Board, co-chaired by OSTP, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Defense. The Board also includes representatives from nine additional federal departments and agencies: the U.S. Department of State, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Aeronautics...