B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

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...